Soils in this Section have a hyperthermic temperature regime and are mostly aquic in moisture regime. Most soils inland from the coasts are poorly drained, shallow, and moderately textured. Some coastal soils are deep sands that are well drained or excessively drained. Potential Natural Vegetation. Physiognomy of vegetation varies by duration of inundation and amount of salt content.
Epiphytes are common.
Poorly drained soils along the east coast, and farther inland along the west coast, are dominated by south Florida slash pine. Sand pine, with scrub oak and saw palmetto understory, occupies excessively drained, deep sands. Both south Florida slash and sand pine are well adapted to an environment of frequent fire. Coastal areas influenced by saltwater tidal zones are occupied by successive zones of vegetation, from freshwater to saltwater environments, of button mangrove, black mangrove, and red mangrove, respectively. Other species common to this tropical environment include Florida fishpoison-tree, Bahama lysiloma, royal poinciana, tamarind, shortleaf fig, Florida royalpalm, Jamaica thatchpalm, and oxhorn bucida.