Morella cerifera



Wax Myrtle - Morella cerifera'''

Habitat sandy soils, swamps, flatwoods, pinelands, upland hardwood forests, fresh or brackish waterways

Range From New Jersey west to eastern Oklahoma and east Texas, south through Mexico to Central America, through Carribean

Description Leaves are evergreen, acute, simple, and alternate; the plant ranges from 6-40 feet but usually only grow to a maximum of 12 feet.

Ecological Notes In order to become settled, the moisture must be continual. When the wax myrtle is settled, it is resistant to drought and flood. The wax myrtle requires sun or part shade to grow, has a medium level of calcium carbonate tolerance and a high level of heat tolerance.

Personal Information When we were walking to the sand dunes in Jockey’s ridge, we noticed several different types of plant species on the way to the sand dunes. The Wax Myrtle plant species stood out due to the red berries growing on it.

References https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=moce2

http://sfrc.ufl.edu/extension/4h/trees/Waxmyrtle/index.html

Journal Articles For information on how Morella cerifera fixates its nitrogen, read the following journal article: E.L. Kurten, T. Iwata, C.P. Snyder& P.M. Vitousek. (2008). Biological Invastions. Morella Cerifera invasion and nitrogen cycling on a Iowland Hawaiian lava flow, 10(1), pp. 19-24. Retrieved from: 

Morella cerifera boosts soil and foliar nitrogen in the tree Metrosideros polymorphia. The intrusion of nitrogen can change lowland forest ecosystems in Hawaii.

Journal Articles' For information on the effects that Composition B, TNT, and RDX have on Morella Cerifera read the following journal article: A.D. Butler, S.M. Via, D.R. Young, J.C. Zinnert. (2014). Environmental and Experimental Botany. Comparative physiological response of Morella cerifera to RDX, TNT, and composition B contaminated soils, 99, pp. 67-74. Retrieved from: < https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S009884721300186X>

Vegetation such as Morella cerifera are planted into the ground and exposed to potential harmful compounds such as trinitrotoluene (TNT), Research Demolition Explosive, and Composition B. The  orderly relationships between physiological processes are disconnected when exposed to explosives.

Contributed by Ben McClay - 2018

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