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• New occurrence of Myricaria germanica in a Hungarian gravel pit

  60–63

  Kristóf Süveges

  Attila Molnár V.

  János Koscsó

  Views:

  212

  This paper reports the second Hungarian synanthropic occurrence of the rare Myricaria germanica. One flowering individual was found in a gravel pit near Hejőpapi (NE Hungary). The closest known population of the species is 60 km far from newly found locality. This occurrence indicates effectivness of anemochory. It seems, that abandoned gravel pits may be potential habitats of this threataned shub species.

• New occurrence of Myricaria germanica in a secondary habitat (NE Hungary)

  118–122

  Péter Kelecsényi

  Attila Takács

  Views:

  22557

  In this paper, we report a new occurrence of Myricaria germanica (L.) Desf in a secondary habitat from the north-eastern part of Hungary, from the edge of the Bükk Mountains, in a slag dump in Miskolc. The plant is established on a steep wall formed during the extraction of slag. Due to the erosion of the wall, occasionally a few plants fall off. The age of the dead specimens is between 5 and 13 years, based on their growth rings. The population of about 50 individuals is the largest (but perhaps the only) living population of the species in Hungary. Other rare and protected species (Epilobium dodonaei Vill., Dysphania botrys (L.) Mosyakin & Clemants, Dryopteris carthusiana (Vill.) H.P. Fuchs, Polystichum aculeatum (L.) Roth ex Mert.) have also been found in the slag heap area.

• Spreading along the railways: morphology and invasion success of Vulpia ciliata in Hungary

  145–156

  Attila Mesterházy

  Tamás Wirth

  Dávid Schmidt

  János Csiky

  Views:

  496

  Vulpia 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.