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New data on the Hungarian adventive flora: Acer opalus Mill. subsp. obtusatum (Waldst. et Kit. ex Willd.) Gams 1925 in Hungary
229-238Views:202Acer opalus Miller 1768 because of its complex taxonomic status can be interpreted as a collective species which contains several species and subspecies depending on different interpretations. An important adventive occurrence from this collective species was found in a forest that belongs to the Tétényi plateau (Budapest, 11th district) in July of 2009. It is proved to be Acer opalus Mill. subsp. obtusatum (Waldst. et Kit. ex Wild.) Gams. The natural range of the subspecies covers the eastern side of the central Mediterranean Sea region and western Balkan Peninsula. It is a submediterranean-mediterranean, thermophile, shade-tolerant taxon but often appears together lightdemanding species too. In its native range it occurs in beech, pine, sessile oak forests and in different types of dry oak forests as admixed tree species. The subspecies was found in a turkey oak – sessile oak community in Hungary. Several old, seed growing individuals live on the spot which have had continuous seed production. Therefore from the old trees to the young seedlings different age categories are represented.
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Results of floristic and phytogeographical research in the Velence Hills (Hungary, Transdanubian Mts)
117–152Views:757A recent floristic mapping of the Velence Hills has clarified the local distribution of many plant species. This study presents records of 219 phytogeographically significant or sporadic/rare taxa (216 species/subspecies and 3 natural hybrids). The local distribution of some species representing typical regional distribution patterns (Alyssum turkestanicum, Artemisia austriaca, Bupleurum pachnospermum, Doronicum hungaricum, Hypericum elegans, Lathyrus sphaericus, Minuartia viscosa, Ornithogalum comosum, Scabiosa canescens, Sedum caespitosum, Sternbergia colchiciflora, Vinca herbacea) are shown on maps. More than fifty taxa previously unknown from the area were recorded during the floristic mapping, including phytogeographically significant ones, such as Bassia laniflora, Brassica elongata, Bupleurum praealtum, Centunculus minimus, Hypericum elegans, Orlaya grandiflora, Phleum bertolonii, Silene dichotoma, Stipa tirsa, Tordylium maximum, Trifolium diffusum, T. ochroleucon and Valeriana dioica. In terms of phytogeography, the Velence Hills can primarily be characterised by the co-existence of continental and sub-Mediterranean elements as well as species of acidophil and strongly basic habitats.
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New species and changes in the bryophyte flora of the Mecsek valleys (Hungary)
157–176Views:328The paper discusses the bryophyte flora of 77 sites in the Mecsek Mountains, mainly in deeper valleys. It includes species that are new to the area’s flora and/or endangered in Hungary, as well as mosses that have become more widespread or locally abundant compared to data from 1968 and 1983. The names of the locations, their geographical centers (centroids), and the grid unit IDs of the Hungarian Flora Mapping Programme (HFMP), where the sites are located, are listed and referenced according to their number in the list. Some of the species are national rarities, such as Scleropodium touretii, newly recorded in the Mecsek in 2023. Its second known occurrence in Hungary is reported in the Enumeration. We detail the occurrences of several species new to South Transdanubia, including Dicranum spurium, Diplophyllum albicans, Hypnum jutlandicum, Isothecium myosuroides, Kindbergia praelonga, Rhynchostegiella curviseta, Riccardia palmata, and Sciuro-hypnum plumosum. Additionally, species newly recorded from the Mecsek Mountains include Fontinalis antipyretica, Leptodon smithii, Plagiomnium ellipticum, Pseudocampylium radicale, and Tortula brevissima. For two taxa, we present data of importance not only for the Mecsek, but also for the North-Hungarian Mts: Riccardia palmata, new for the Tornai-karszt, and Dicranum spurium, for which we confirm a very old record in the Zemplén Mts. We also note the widespread, sometimes massive occurrence of some aquatic and subaquatic mosses, e.g. Rhynchostegiella teneriffae, Hygrohypnum luridum, which have been recorded only once in the mountains in the last 50 years. The taxonomically uncertain Hygroamblystegium fluviatile with similar habitat requirements can now be found widely throughout the mountains. New populations of Palustriella commutata, considered endangered and declining in the country, have been found in the Mecsek. The expansion of (sub-)aquatic species is particularly surprising in the light of recent hydroecological studies indicating that the streams in the Mecsek are drying up. The situation is similar regarding Rhynchostegium rotundifolium, previously thought to be a Tilio-Acerion (slope and ravine forest) species, which is legally protected in Hungary and only had one record from the Mecsek in the last century. This forest species is now found in peri-urban, sub-urban, slightly to moderately disturbed and secondary habitats throughout the mountains. Similar to its preference in Germany, outside of semi-natural habitats it occurs mainly on built structures in forest edges, ruins, abandoned mine sites, often in stands mixed with black locust and contaminated with litter. Microeurhynchium pumilum, which prefers sub-Mediterranean and sub-Atlantic climate, shady and humid habitats, has become one of the most widespread and abundant forest bryophytes in the Mecsek, in contrast to its few records 60 years ago. Half (50%) of the new mosses in the flora of the Mecsek can be connected to the cooler boreal biome, while 21% is associated with the milder Mediterranean-Atlantic biome. The average of MAT (mean annual daily mean air temperatures averaged over one year) and MAP (accumulated precipitation amount over one year) of the 14 new species according to BET (Bryophytes of Europe Traits) indicates areas with much lower temperatures (7.7°C) than in Hungary, but with precipitation conditions (749 mm) similar to those in the Mecsek. The vast majority of the new species are extremely rare in Hungary, and are inconsistent with current climate warming trends. In contrast to the mosses with striking increase in records, the detection of new species is likely due to chance, in addition to systematic research at finer spatial scales, rather than to local expansion of the species. However, in the case of expanding and abundant species, it is still an open question whether their dynamics compared to 40-60 year old references are apparent or real: the result of sampling bias in previous surveys or a consequence of climate change. In any case, the abundance of the above mentioned bryophytes in the Mecsek is not consistent with their current Hungarian Red List threat classification, and this cannot be attributed to changes in definitions since 2010. The detected distribution and abundance, as well as the increase in the number of new species in the country within a decade, highlights the need for an updated Red List of Hungarian bryophytes.
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A new alien species in Hungary: the occurrence of Sabulina tenuifolia in Budapest
15–26Views:519Railways are important introduction and dispersal corridors for plant species. The first establishment and spread of many alien plant species in Hungary can be linked to railways nowadays. Sabulina tenuifolia (L.) Rchb. is a sub-Atlantic–sub-Mediterranean–Western-Asian plant, which was not previously known from the flora of Hungary, but a small population of the species was found in Budapest, at the Rákospalota-Újpest railway station. The plant was probably introduced as a stowaway of rail transport and its further spread along railways is expected. The inclusion of the species in the Hungarian plant identification key has been published in the article.
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Remnants of closed oak woods on loess in the Mezőföld (Pulmonario mollis-Quercetum roboris Kevey 2008)
66–93Views:431The phytosociological characterization of closed oak forests occurring in the loess-covered part of Central Hungary (Mezőföld) is presented. Such forest fragments are found very sporadically in that predominantly treeless region, mostly in semi-dry habitats of north-facing hillsides. This plant community represents an intermediate stage between open steppe woodland (Aceri tatarici-Quercetum pubescentis-roboris) and closed mesic oak-hornbeam forests (Corydali cavae-Carpinetum). Analyses of 20 phytosociological samples using multivariate grouping methods (cluster analysis, principal coordinates analysis) showed a clear difference between these samples and samples of similar communities occurring in the area. In the species composition the characteristic elements of dry and mesic oak forests (Quercetea pubescentis-petraeae, Quercetalia cerridis, Aceri tatarici-Quercion and Fagetalia, respectively) played a major role. On the other hand, dry grassland species (Festuco-Brometea, Festucetalia valesiacae, Festucion rupicolae, etc.) were much less significant than in steppe woodlands. In terms of chorology, European and sub-Mediterranean floristic elements were dominant in the samples, while the proportion of continental elements was substantially smaller than that in steppe woodlands. As a result, our samples were identified with the plant association Pulmonario mollis-Quercetum roboris Kevey 2008, which is classified into the suballiance Polygonato latifolio-Quercenion roboris Kevey 2008 in the phytosociological system.
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Mondró-halom kurgan (Hencida, East Hungary), a refugium of loess grassland vegetation
143-149Views:828Fragments of the natural grassland vegetation are often preserved only in those areas which are inadequate for arable farming. In many cases kurgans hold the last remnants of dry grasslands in lowland areas, like the Great Hungarian Plain. They also have an essential role in preserving cultural and landscape values. Moreover, they harbour several rare plant and animal species. Our aim was to explore the vegetation of the Mondró-halom kurgan (Hencida, East Hungary). Altogether we found 74 vascular plant species in the loess grassland of the kurgan. Several rare species of the Bihari-sík region, such as Inula germanica, Ranunculus illyricus and Rosa gallica were also detected. The steep slopes of the kurgan with various micro-sites and exposures supported a species-rich vegetation. Instead of its small area it harboured several forest steppic species and several steppic flora elements (Continental, Pontic-Mediterranean, Pontic, Pontic-Pannonic and Turanian).
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Multiclavula mucida (Basidiomycota) and other cryptogamic taxa in the Hungarian flora
173–184Views:914The paper deals with the species found during cryptogamic flora mapping in 2023 that are remarkable from a floristic, taxonomic or conservational point of view. We present data from the Bükk Mts of two Trapeliopsis species which appear to be rare in Hungary. Multiclavula mucida, which is apparently a rare basidiomycete lichen species in Europe that prefers humid, montane habitats was discovered in the Mecsek Mts as a new species for the Hungarian flora. Of the knothole moss, Anacamptodon splachnoides, which is now thought to be entomophilic, we communicate the only extant population from Southern Transdanubia. We report the first occurrence of the atlantic-mediterranean Leptodon smithii from the Hungarian side of the Great Hungarian Plain. Numerous data of the corticole Neckera pennata indicate that in Hungary the distributional centre of this species is situated in the county of Baranya in the lowlands. New data from the Bükk Mts underline that in the Pannonian region Buxbaumia viridis is primarily a terricole species of acidophilous beech forests. We communicate the first occurrence from the lowlands of the alien lignicolous Sematophyllum adnatum which is dangerously spreading in Europe, at the same time one of the most vigorous populations in the Pannonian region. The third Hungarian occurrence of Callicladium haldanianum, a species that seems to spread in bogs, as well as the second occurrence of Racomitrium lanuginosum, growing abundantly on an andesite boulder scree in Mátra Mts, are also reported here. Of Phegopteris connectilis we present in photographic documentation the first extant population from Southern Transdanubia, and we discuss whether the first publication from Mecsek Mts is correct or exact. In addition to listing the floristic data, we also briefly discuss the (mis)use of distribution data in the context of climate change, the difficulties of distinguishing the microtaxa of some pteridophytes, e.g. Asplenium adiantum-nigrum agg. and Dryopteris affinis agg., and we correct one of our previously published, erroneous Hedwigia stellata data. Some interesting data of other taxa (such as Leucobryum glaucum, Palustriella commutata, Tetraphis pellucida, Gymnocarpium robertianum, Ophioglossum vulgatum) are also mentioned in the paper.
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A new alien species to the Hungarian flora: Polypogon viridis (Gouan) Breistr.
165–172Views:358Polypogon viridis (Gouan) Bresitr., a new alien species to the Hungarian flora, was detected between the years 2016–2019. Water bent (P. viridis), originating from the Mediterranean basin, was recorded from several plant nurseries and outdoor flowerpots in Transdanubia, Hungary. The new Hungarian records fit into the observed phenomenon that ornamental plant trade is an important factor in the spread of this species. Morphological characterization and insertion of P. viridis into the Hungarian identification key are also provided in this paper. Since P. viridis was represented in large numbers at some of the Hungarian localities, future monitoring of its spread may be important to evaluate the invasiveness of the species in the country.
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Asparagus verticillatus L. in Hungary
38-43Views:456Climbing asparagus (Asparagus verticillatus L.) a new adventive species to the Hungarian flora was recently discovered in the city of Pécs (South Hungary) in 2011–2012. Taxonomy, morphological description and current localities of the species are presented in this paper. A. verticillatus is a mediterranean-submediterranean species native in Balkan Peninsula, Eastern Europe, Western- and Middle Asia. The species is a popular ornamental plant in Hungary, but no data was available about its escape or naturalisation in the country so far. Herbarium specimens from Hungary were collected so far mostly from botanical and private gardens; only one specimen was collected in a dry grassland along a roadside in the city, respectively. The newly discovered small populations are located mostly in secondary dry grasslands, at the edges of vineyards and private gardens on the southern slopes of the Mecsek Mts and only one specimen was found far from the residential area in natural vegetation. Because climbing asparagus is a frequently planted ornamental plant in several locations of Pécs, further escape, naturalisation and persistence of the species is possible in the future.
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New occurences and spread of the adventive species, Torilis nodosa in Hungary
26-31Views:1324Torilis nodosa (L.) Gaertn. is an Atlantic-Mediterranean weed species. Its old data are known from Budapest, but these may have been occasional occurrences, the species has not been confirmed in Hungary for more than a hundred years. In the last few years, we have found six new occurrences of the species in Hungary, one population in Budapest, and another five in some settlements on the northern shore of Lake Balaton. The species was observed in ruderal or intensely mowed urban habitats, in all cases. Intensive tourism has a role in its introduction for sure, but for the survival of self-sustaining stands and in its already perceptible regional spreading, the climate change trends, the increasingly mild winters, and the decreasing number of frost days could also be important. New data from Hungary are well connected to its other Central European observations.
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New records of Parmelia submontana (Parmeliaceae, lichenized Ascomycota) in the Mátra Mts, North Hungary
95–100Views:70So far Parmelia submontane Hale, considered a Mediterranean species of humid montane forests, had only four collected specimens from Hungary. A recent revision of a misidentified specimen collected in 1974 proved its existence in the Mátra Mts and further four collections from years 2024 and 2025 confirmed presence of the species here. Our findings are in line with a spreading trend of the species across Europe in last decades and as well as with recent collections from a number of Hungarian landscapes.
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The occurrence of Pterygoneurum squamosum Segarra et Kürschner on a reclaimed waste storage near town Győr (NW Hungary)
23-27Views:246In the article a new locality, range map and habitat description of Pterygoneurum squamosum is provided from Hungary. Differently from up to the present known localities, the moss was found on anthropogenic habitat, eroded and clayey soil surface. Considering the climatic and soil conditions there, probably this rare Mediterranean species has wider ecological tolerance, so we come across it on further man-made habitats, as well as on loess walls.
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The purple viper's bugloss (Echium plantagineum), a new adventive species for Hungary
199-206Views:1338Following global trends, the number of newly established alien plant species is increasing in Hungary. Not only professional scientists but also citizens could contribute to the discovery and documentation of new occurrences. One of the first records of the purple viper’s bugloss (Echium plantagineum L.) in Hungary originate from an online group dealing with wild plant species identification. This species is native in Western Mediterranean countries, and is introduced to other continents. In Australia, it is a well-spread, largely problematic invasive species, and it might show similar tendencies in Hungary as well. In order to acquaint the wider public with this species, we present its morphology, phenology and other characteristics and provide a possible inlay in the Hungarian identification key.
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Continuing spread of Plantago coronopus along Hungarian roads
19–26Views:1598In the course of our research of Hungarian transport routes, we observed an intensive spread of the Atlantic-Mediterranean Plantago coronopus L., a recently established species in Hungary. Between 2017 and 2019, it was detected in 47 flora mapping quadrats, which increased the total number of occurrences to 81 since 2013. Besides motorways, the main Hungarian transport routes were involved as well. 26 occurrences have been recorded along the roads 4/E60, E573, 8/E66, 86/E65 and 87, which are severely affected by international traffic. However, on routes avoiding international transit traffic, the species’ occurrences are still rare. In some cases, the predominant direction of traffic appeared to influence the formation of new stands. It is very likely that the first individuals that appeared along the section of the M86/E65 motorway between Szombathely and Hegyfalu in 2019, arrived primarily by northbound traffic, rather than along the road 86, which runs parallel to it only a few hundred meters away. Likewise, it seems certain that the spread of the species along the roads M1/E60, E75 (Mocsa, Tata, Páty) and M7/E71 (Fonyód, Balatonlelle, Kajászó) as well as the road 8/E66 (Bakonygyepes, Veszprém) is due to reproduction of older extensive local populations. At several localities along the outer bend of roundabouts or near the exits of motorways, a dispersal role of intense winter road salting was also observed. The largest populations were located mostly along ditches, next to the (often bare) lane of roadbeds that are heavily affected by mechanical and osmotic stress. The majority of stands were found within a 3 meters wide belt along the asphalt strip (5 meters was measured in the lawn of a cemetery once). Since the species is present continuously at several localities since 2013, it is considered as naturalised in Hungary, and its further spread can be confidently predicted. The current status of the species in Hungary is naturalised (non-trans¬former) neophyte.
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Carpathian, Transylvanian, Dacian and Pannonian elements in the flora of Sălaj region (NW Romania)
259-267Views:341This paper gives an account of biogeographically interesting plant species of the traditional ethnographic region Sălaj (in Hungarian: “Szilágyság”, NW Romania). The flora of the region, which is situated between the Transylvanian Basin and the eastern part of the Great Hungarian Plain, contains, besides the prevailing European species, a significant percentage of plant species from different biogeographic regions. Among these we noticed the continental species of eastern origin, as well as southern Sub-Mediterranean species broadly distributed in this area. A significant number of other interesting species is further represented by the endemic and sub-endemic Carpathian (Aconitum moldavicum Hacq., Symphytum cordatum Waldst. & Kit.), Transylvanian (Cephalaria radiata Griseb. & Schenk, Onosma pseudoarenaria Schur subsp. pseudoarenaria), Dacian (Helleborus purpurascens Waldst. & Kit., Phyteuma tetramerum Schur) and Pannonian (Centaurea sadleriana Janka), species, which occur in very different habitats.
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Spreading along the railways: morphology and invasion success of Vulpia ciliata in Hungary
145–156Views:1156Vulpia ciliata Dumort, a widespread species in the Mediterranean region, has been introduced in several European countries in recent decades, mainly along railways. The species was first discovered in Hungary at Szolnok railway station in May 2016, then a few days later at Keleti railway station in Budapest. In 2020 the species was found in several Transdanubian railway stations. Apparently, V. ciliata has recently been established in numerous parts of the country, probably spreading by railway transport. Until now, the species has only been found in the vicinity of regularly used tracks (in a distance of 20 m at the most). Being an invasive alien species, V. ciliata can displace the native Vulpia myuros in ruderal vegetation along railway lines. The species can easily be distinguished from V. myuros by its hairy lemma. Moreover, it flowers earlier than the other two indigenous species in Hungary, often already in late April. Based on the characteristics examined (number of nodes in the upper 2 cm zone of the rachis, number of fruits per spikelet, rate of fertile and sterile florets within the spikelet, lower and upper glume length, lemma and awn length separately, rachis width in the upper 2 cm zone) we have concluded that V. bromoides and V. myuros are less different from each other than V. ciliata from these two species. In the case of V. ciliata subsp. ciliata, we observed that spikelets (detached from the inflorescens) function as dispersal units. Therefore we assume that the observed low fertility rate within the spikelets, as well as the presence of marginal cilia on lemmas promote the spreading success of V. ciliata (spreading in clusters, anemochory, zoochory, anthropochory). Its early maturation (in May) can also facilitate its spread along railways, because the populations survive the chemical weed control usually carried out in late spring. The other two Hungarian species usually ripen later (in June). For the time being, the spread of V. ciliata outside the Hungarian railway network may be hindered by climatic conditions, or by the lack of seasonal weed control outside that network, which otherwise offers a relative survival advantage for V. ciliata along railway tracks.
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Occurrences of the memebers of Callitriche brutia complex (C. hamulata, C. brutia subsp. brutia and subsp. naftolskyi) in Hungary
77–88Views:655This article summarizes the recent occurrences of taxa of the C. brutia complex in Hungary. Formerly, C. hamulata was known from Hungary based on a specimen of uncertain origin from Vas County. The first confirmed record of the species date back to 2014, since then it has been found from from a total of 4 localities in streams in Western Transdanubia and along the Danube. The first detection of C. brutia subsp. brutia was in 2016 in the Kunkápolnás marsh of the Hortobágy region, and since then the subspecies has been spreading in the area. The subsp. naftolsky was found in 2024 in a terrestrial form in a saltwater marsh in the Dél-Tiszántúl region. While C. hamulata is probably a native member of the Hungarian flora, the two subspecies of C. brutia may have colonised more recently, probably introduced by birds. Their colonisation may be related to the ongoing climate change, which has resulted in the introduction of plants from the Mediterranean region, often by natural means.
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Annual Lythrum species in Hungary: revision of the subgenus Hyssopifolia
64–70Views:338Four ephemeral Lythrum species have been recorded from Hungary so far. Lythrum hyssopifolia is widely distributed in the whole country. Most occurrences of L. tribracteatum are located in southeastern Hungary and alongside the Danube. The Central Asian L. linifolium was reported from a single locality (Tiszaug village, E Hungary) in 1954, which is the only European record of this species. However, we have ascertained that the voucher specimen of this record differs from L. linifolium in some morphological traits, but strongly resembles L. borysthenicum that is distributed in the Mediterranean and steppe regions of eastern Europe. Based on our revision we suggest deleting L. linifolium from both Hungarian and European checklists. The former Hungarian occurrence of L. thesioides is confirmed by vouchers.
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Escaping of Euphorbia myrsinites from cultivation in Eger (E Hungary)
253–256Views:316Euphorbia myrsinites L. (Euphorbiaceae) is a well-known ornamental plant with native distribution around the Mediterranean Basin, the Black Sea, the Caucasus region and Minor Asia. Its escape from cultivation and its naturalization in Western and Central Europe as well as in North America was reported in many cases. In Hungary, the casual escape of E. myrsinites has been documented more than fifty years ago and new observations were recently reported from different regions of the country. Here, I discuss a new record of the species from the town of Eger (E Hungary). The obtained data allow considering E. myrsinites as a locally naturalized species in the flora of Hungary. According to standardized criteria, the species may be able for local invasions too, but further observations are needed to accurately determine its present status in Hungary.
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Three new grass species to the alien flora of Hungary: Paspalum dilatatum, Phalaris aquatica and Panicum schinzii
63–76Views:659In this paper, we present the new occurrence of two grass species previously unknown in the flora of Hungary and one grass species for which we have only one historical record. Panicum schinzii Hack. is an annual species from South Africa, Paspalum dilatatum Poir. is a perennial species originating from South America, and Phalaris aquatica L. is also a perennial taxon native to the Mediterranean. The only well-developed individual of Panicum schinzii was found on a gravel reef of the Rába river in Western Hungary, while the two newly observed perennial grass species appeared in the Great Hungarian Plain: a single individual of Paspalum dilatatum was observed in a suburban environment on the southern edge of the town of Soltvadkert, while a small population of Phalaris aquatica occurs along a highway near Szeged. In this paper, we describe the European distribution and habitat preference of these three species, we assess their invasion potential and we fit them into the Hungarian dichotomous key of vascular plants. Although we cannot state with certainty that the specimens of Panicum schinzii, Paspalum dilatatum and Phalaris aquatica we report here are the first ones that have ever appeared in Hungary, but their localities and the numbers of individuals suggest that they have entered the country very recently. The annual Panicum schinzii certainly arrived to Hungary naturally by the river Rába, while the perennial Paspalum dilatatum and Phalaris aquatica are more likely to have been introduced by human activities, but both inadvertently. Paspalum dilatatum arrived to its site near Soltvadkert by accident, in the form of propagules in some intentionally sown seed mixture. The fact that all three species are considered in some countries to be invasive or at least problematic species is a cause for concern.
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Two new adventive species from the Rubiaceae family in Hungary
286–296Views:488Two alien species from the Rubiaceae family were recorded as new for Hungary in 2016. Phuopsis stylosa is a rarely used garden plant in Europe, originally occurs in south-west Asia. A small escaped and established stand was found in Csákánydoroszló village in Vas County (West Hungary). Also a small group of Galium murale was discovered in Budapest-Keleti Railway Station (Central Hungary). This species is originated from the Mediterranean and probably spreads by rail transport. Both species are represented in their habitats by small populations therefore their invasiveness can only be evaluated after several years' monitoring.