Physiognomy and Structure: The open to very open overstories are dominated by Pinus palustris. Grasses naturally dominate the field (herb) stratum (Streng et al. 1993).

Floristics: The open to very open overstories are dominated by Pinus palustris. Grasses naturally dominate the ground cover (Streng et al. 1993). Andropogon capillipes, Andropogon spp., Ctenium aromaticum, Dichanthelium spp., Muhlenbergia expansa, Schizachyrium scoparium, Schizachyrium spp., Sporobolus silveanus, and/or other grasses and sedges, including Rhynchospora spp., may also dominate. A great diversity of other herbs is often present, including composites, legumes, insectivorous plants, and variety of showy forbs. Some forbs may include species of Agalinis, Baptisia, Crotalaria, Eupatorium, Helianthus, Liatris, Polygala, Rhynchosia, Sarracenia, Solidago, Symphyotrichum, Tephrosia, and many others. Some specific herbs of the West Gulf Coastal Plain include Chaetopappa asteroides, Lobelia flaccidifolia, Platanthera nivea, and Helenium drummondii. The vegetation of this group is a highly diverse and variable; the dominant species in the overstory and ground cover are frequently not overwhelmingly dominant and therefore a number of species may share dominance, and in addition there is a high level of endemism among the dominant species in a given area. In examples with extended fire-return times, an understory of Acer rubrum, Liquidambar styraciflua, and Morella cerifera (= Myrica cerifera) is likely to develop. Pinus elliottii var. elliottii may be present or codominant within limited areas of the West Gulf Coastal Plain, particularly on wetter sites. These areas are outside of the natural range of Pinus elliottii var. elliottii, and the presence of Pinus elliottii var. elliottii in these examples indicates a post-disturbance or degraded condition.

Dynamics:  Overstory pine densities vary from low with widely spaced trees giving an open savanna-like aspect, to high with dense, nearly closed canopies. Nevertheless, even the densest stands have discontinuous canopies which allow considerable light to penetrate to the forest floor. Probably the most significant disturbance affecting and promoting community composition is fire (Beckage et al. 2009). Both Pinus elliottii and Pinus serotina are less tolerant of frequent fire than is Pinus palustris. While Pinus elliottii can survive reasonably frequent fire, it has been estimated that natural fire frequencies are less than half that of longleaf pine, while typical regimes for Pinus serotina may be less than one-third as frequent (Landers 1989). Thus, it is often believed that these species were confined historically to wetter savanna sites with lower burn frequencies than those typical of Pinus palustris-dominated communities.