Some pedons have a thin fibric surface layer up to 2 inches thick. The structure of the surface tier is weak or medium, coarse to fine granular, or subangular blocky. Overwash phases have surface textures of silt loam or silty clay loam. The subsurface tier has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 0 to 4. Chroma or value or both may change from 0.5 to 2 units upon rubbing.
Broken faces become darker upon brief exposure to air.
The layer is dominated by sapric material with a rubbed fiber content of less than 16 percent of the organic volume. The subsurface tier has granular or blocky structure or is massive. The upper portion typically has weak or moderate, fine to coarse granular or blocky structure. The lower portion commonly is massive, but in some pedons has platy structure. The aggregates in this tier are quite firm, but break abruptly under pressure.