LOCATION TEXLA TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, siliceous, active, thermic Oxyaquic Glossudalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Texla silt loam--woodland.
(Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 4 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam; weak medium granular structure; slightly hard, very friable; many fine and medium roots; many fine and medium pores; few faint light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions with sharp boundaries; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
E--4 to 9 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) silt loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable; common fine and medium roots; many medium pores; few faint light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions with sharp boundaries; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
Bt/E--9 to 22 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) silty clay loam (Bt); moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, friable; many coarse and medium, and few fine roots; many medium pores; few distinct brownish yellow (7.5YR 6/8) clay flims on surface of prisms; 40 percent pale brown (10YR 6/3) albic material (E) on surface of prisms; few grayish brown (10YR 5/2) krotovina; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 25 inches thick)
Btg--22 to 33 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; very hard, very firm; few fine roots along ped faces; common fine pores; many fine and medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and few fine prominent red (2.5YR 4/6) iron accumulations with sharp boundaries on ped exteriors; common pressure faces; few light gray (10YR 7/1) krotovina; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 20 inches thick)
Btssg1--33 to 47 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) clay; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; very hard, very firm; few fine roots along ped faces; many fine and medium pores; common medium prominent dark red (2.5YR 4/6) and common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) iron accumulations with sharp boundaries; common pressure faces; common prominent slickensides; few light gray (10YR 7/1) krotovina; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Btssg2--47 to 80 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1) clay; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; very hard, very firm; few fine roots along ped faces; few fine pores; common fine and medium prominent olive (5Y 5/6) and yellow (5Y 7/6) iron accumulations with clear boundaries in ped interiors; common pressure faces; common prominent slickensides; few light gray (10YR 7/1) krotovina; few white salt spots; very strongly acid. (combined thickness of the Btssg horizon is 25 to 55 inches)
TYPE LOCATION: Orange County, Texas; from the intersection of Texas Highway 87 and Interstate Highway 10 in Orange; 7.5 miles north on Texas Highway 87; 1.1 miles east on paved road; 450 feet south of road in woodland. (Latitude 30N, 13, 33; Longitude 93W, 45, 05)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of solum is more than 80 inches. Weighted average clay content of the particle-size control section ranges from 25 to 34 percent. The Bt/E horizon is saturated 30 or more days mainly during late winter and early spring. Redox features (iron accumulations and depletions) are considered both contemporary and relict. These soils do not have aquic conditions in most years. Depth to the glossic horizon ranges from 6 to 18 inches.
The A horizon has color with hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 1 to 3. Redox features range from few to common in shades of brown or gray. Reaction is extremely acid or very strongly acid.
The E horizon has color with hue of 10YR, value of 6 or 7 and chroma of 2 to 4. Redox features range from few to common in shades of gray, brown, or yellow. Reaction is extremely acid or very strongly acid.
The Bt part of the Bt/E horizon has color with hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 6. Texture is silt loam or silty clay loam. The E part, or albic material, has color with hue of 10YR, value of 5 to 7 and chroma of 1 to 3. Iron accumulations range from few to many in shades of red, brown, or yellow and are mainly in ped interiors. Some pedons have up to 10 percent brittle masses. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to strongly acid.
The Btg and Btssg horizons have hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7 and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is silty clay or clay. Iron accumulations range from few to many in shades of red, brown, or yellow. Iron depletions range from few to common in shades of gray. Pressure faces range from few in the Bt to common or many in the Btssg horizon. Slickensides range from few to common in the Btssg horizon. Some pedons have a few gypsum crystals or other salt concentrations. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to moderately acid.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in the same family. Similar soils are Acadia, Anahuac, Aldine, Bissonnet, Gist, Orcadia, and Vidrine. Acadia soils do not have a glossic horizon. Anahuac and Bissonnet soils have A and E horizons more than 18 inches thick. In addition Bissonnet soils have less than 35 percent clay in the lower part of the solum. Aldine soils have a fine-silty over clayey particle-size control section. Gist soils have a coarse-silty particle-size control section. Orcadia soils have a fine particle-size control section and have a hyperthermic temperature regime. Vidrine soils have a coarse-silty over clayey particle-size control section and typically have carbonates in the lower part of the solum.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Texla soils are on plane to slightly convex, nearly level uplands. Slopes are 0 to 1 percent. These soils are in the Flatwoods (MLRA 152) east of the Trinity River. The soil formed in clayey and loamy sediments of the Beaumont formation of Pleistocene age. The mean annual temperature is 68 to 70 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation is 50 to 60 inches. Frost free days range from 250 to 265. Elevation ranges from 20 to 60 feet. The Thornthwaite P-E index is 68 to 80.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Gist soils and the Evadale soils. Evadale and Gist soils are mapped in a complex with Texla soils. Evadale soils have a fine particle-size control section and are on slightly lower poorly drained positions. The Gist soils are on slightly higher associated mounds.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Texla soils are somewhat poorly drained. Runoff is low. Permeability is very slow. These soils are saturated from 9 to 22 inches below the soil surface for a period of 30 days or more in most years. In some years these soils have aquic conditions.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for woodland and native pasture. Most areas are in pine and hardwood, mainly loblolly pine, water oak, and sweetgum. The understory vegetation is mainly yaupon and American beautyberry with andropogon, paspalum, and panicum species with a few sedges. A few areas have been cleared and used for improved pastures of bahiagrass and bermudagrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Western Gulf Coast Flatwoods (MLRA 152B) of Texas and possibly Louisiana. Mainly east of the Trinity River. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Orange County, Texas; 1996.
REMARKS: The Texla soils were formerly included with the Evadale series.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 9 inches (A and E horizon).
Glossic horizon - 9 to 22 inches (Bt/E horizon).
Argillic horizon - 9 to 80 inches (Bt/E, Btg, Btssg horizons).
Oxyaquic feature - They are saturated in the Bt/E horizon for 30 or more days in most years. In 2 to 4 years in 10 these soils have aquic conditions.
SOIL INTERPRETATION RECORD NUMBER: TX1294