SOIL SURVEY OF PINELLAS COUNTY, FLORIDA. 
307 
pine, scattering blackjack oak, clumps of live oak and saw palmetto, 
wire grass, myrtle, some “oak runners,” and gallberry in the de¬ 
pressed positions. 
This local classification includes the typical Norfolk fine sand, 
and frequently the flat phase of this type, although the latter is often 
referred to as “hammock land,” on account of its level surface and 
dark color. 
“Low hammock” applies to low semi-swampy areas occupied by 
the Parkwood series, of which there are two members, the fine sandy 
loam and silty clay loam. These soils are dark colored and have a 
marly subsoil, but owing to their swampy nature have not been de¬ 
veloped agriculturally. 
“Bays” and “bay heads” are wet, swampy depressions, in which 
the accumulation of decaying vegetable material is continually in 
progress, forming muck and peat. 
The “flatwoods” constitute the low-lying, nearly level areas in 
which drainage is immaturely established. After heavy rainfall 
water remains on the surface for several days and the soil continues 
in a saturated condition for a considerable period. The Portsmouth 
fine sand is the typical soil of the “flatwoods,” although it is found 
also on slopes and in depressions in higher lying country. The sur¬ 
face soil is a dark fine sand containing a high percentage of organic 
matter, which is usually underlain at about 2 feet by a brown sub¬ 
stratum known as “hardpan.” This compact layer, consisting of 
sand cemented or made compact by iron salts and organic matter, 
varies from a few inches to a foot or more in thickness and is found 
at the permanent water-table level. The hardpan lies at a remark¬ 
ably uniform depth throughout the flatwoods, where the more ex¬ 
tensive and more typical areas of the Portsmouth fine sand occur. 
It doubtless prevents to a considerable degree the free movement of 
soil moisture. It is not readily penetrated by tree roots, as is evi¬ 
denced by the shorter growth and gnarly, spreading tops of pine 
trees. Saw palmetto grows in profusion and in lower lying areas 
gallberry is found. The swamp phase of the Portsmouth fine sand 
is confined entirely to the numerous cypress ponds that occupy the 
low depressions. These are either covered with water or are in a 
saturated condition the year around. Other low areas are shown 
on the map as water and grass areas. They have no tree growth, 
but support a fresh-watpr vegetation consisting of reeds, rushes, 
grasses, and lilies. Both the cypress ponds and these water and 
