Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Texas Live Oak - Wax Mallow Forest Group

Colloquial Name: Texas Live Oak - Wax Mallow Motte & Coastal Forest

Hierarchy Level:  Group

Type Concept: This vegetation represents tall and short-statured woodlands, forest mottes, and savannas dominated by Quercus fusiformis occurring on deep sands in coastal and near-coastal areas of Texas south of the Brazoria River. Patch size may be small to large and examples are often associated with a matrix of deep sand grassland vegetation. The deep sands on which this vegetation occurs are relictual Pleistocene-aged barrier-strandplains, and Holocene-aged eolian deposits. Topography varies from larger dunes to smaller ridges and swales. Important processes include sand movement and moisture variability in the ridge-and-swale topography. In addition to Quercus fusiformis, the shrub Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii, vine Vitis mustangensis, and grasses and forbs Froelichia floridana, Helianthemum georgianum, Paspalum plicatulum, Schizachyrium littorale, and Thelesperma nuecense are also a fairly constant across the range of this group. Otherwise, species composition varies in a north-south gradient, with northern expressions including species more common in the southeastern U.S., and southern expressions including species more common in southern, southwestern and central Texas. Some examples of this vegetation have been very much reduced due to commercial and residential development in coastal areas.

Diagnostic Characteristics: This vegetation is characterized by Quercus fusiformis woodlands and forests occurring in the coastal plain of Texas south of the Brazos River. Other constant species include Froelichia floridana, Helianthemum georgianum, Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii, Paspalum plicatulum, Schizachyrium littorale, Thelesperma nuecense, and Vitis mustangensis.

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: Live oak taxonomy follows that suggested by Nixon and Muller (1997), where all live oaks of coastal Texas southwest of the Brazos are considered Quercus fusiformis, likely introgressed with Quercus virginiana and/or the Mexican species Quercus oleoides. Though Quercus fusiformis is the dominant species across the range of this group, associated species vary in a north-south manner. There are probably more associations to be developed for this group. Northern expressions have more species with ranges extending to the northeast, such as Callicarpa americana, Ilex vomitoria, Morella cerifera, Persea borbonia, Quercus hemisphaerica, Quercus marilandica, Smilax bona-nox, and Vitis mustangensis. Southern expressions have species whose ranges extend to the west, such as Condalia hookeri, Prosopis glandulosa, and Zanthoxylum hirsutum. This northern and southern variability may warrant separate alliances, but more information is needed to make this determination. On the Ingleside Barrier strandplain, Quercus fusiformis may occur in dense patches of short-statured forests/shrublands (1.5-6 m in height). This "shrubland" variant may warrant separate classification. It often appears to be a monoculture of shrubby Quercus fusiformis, but may include emergent larger Quercus fusiformis trees. Present at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, these "running-live oak" thickets could be considered a modified community that is the result of years of fire suppression and severe grazing pressures. Once this shrubland is established, it is difficult to restore the grassland community to these areas.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available

note: No Data Available