Texas-Louisiana Coastal Prairie Pondshore

Geology

This system occurs on the coastal Pleistocene terraces, including the Beaumont and Lissie Formations.

Landform

Local topographic lows such as ponds and swales within the generally level landscape.

Soils

Soils tend to be fine-textured, or are characterized by a relatively impermeable subsurface horizon.

Parent Description

This system occurs as ponds or swales within the coastal prairie matrix. Soils are poorly-drained, and surface water from rainfall and local runoff is retained for much of the year (except for periods of high evapotranspiration). Occurrences are wetter than the Tripsacum dactyloides (eastern gamagrass) or Panicum virgatum (switchgrass) dominated prairie sites of the Texas-Louisiana Coastal Prairie. These wetlands are primarily herbaceous, sometimes with sparse woody cover, and are composed of various species, such as Eleocharis quadrangulata (squarestem spikesedge), Fuirena squarrosa (hairy umbrellasedge), Cyperus haspan (sheathed umbrellasedge), Cyperus virens (green flatsedge), Rhynchospora spp. (beaksedges), Leersia hexandra (clubhead cutgrass), Steinchisma hians (gaping panicum), Panicum virgatum (switchgrass), Andropogon glomeratus (bushy bluestem), Xyris jupicai (Richard's yellow-eyed grass), Centella erecta (erect centella), Sagittaria papillosa (nipplebract arrowhead), Sagittaria longiloba (longlobe arrowhead), Ludwigia glandulosa (Torrey water- primrose), Ludwigia linearis (narrowleaf water-primrose), Bacopa spp. (waterhyssops), Hydrocotyle spp. (pennyworts), Symphyotrichum subulatum (hierba del marrano), and Sesbania spp. (rattleboxes). Large areas of some of the occurrences may be relatively homogeneous, dominated by one or a few species. Areas of open water within the ponds may contain floating and submerged aquatic species, including Stuckenia pectinata (sago pondweed), Ceratophyllum demersum (coontail), Brasenia schreberi (Schreber watershield), Nymphoides aquatica (largeleaf floating heart), and Nelumbo lutea (yellow lotus).