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In memoriam Palkó Sándor (1959–2002)
179-186Views:143Sándor Palkó (1959–2002) was the first nature conservation surveyor in Zala county at the Balaton-uplands National Park. While he was nation-wide recognized ornithologist, he extended our knowledge with many floristic data too, but we remember him mostly for his imaginative activity in nature conservation. He sent on his experience dozens of young conservationists and stood them on their own ways. His dedication carried with him all those who had predisposition. The Research and Ringing Camp of Fenékpuszta established by him has become one of the most important camps of the country for avian migration research and nature conservation practices.
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Astragalus vesicarius and other new taxa to the flora of the Vértes Mountains (Hungary, Transdanubian Mts)
195–199Views:186A conservation survey on the condition of steppe and forest-steppe habitats in the Vértes Mts revealed several plant species from the flora of the area that have not been reported before. From a phytogeographical point of view, the most important is Astragalus vesicarius, whose small population in the Vértes fits very well into the native distribution pattern of the species in Hungary. Another important steppe plant is Stipa dasyphylla, which is found in two locations in the Vértes Mts. Besides other taxa of conservation interest (Orobanche teucrii, Phelipanche purpurea, Rosa hungarica), some under-recorded species (Cerastium tenoreanum, Stellaria pallida), and some spreading weeds (Elymus elongatus, Euphorbia lathyris) enrich our knowledge of the flora of the area.
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Data on the distribution of some protected plant species and on their presence in secondary habitats
183-199Views:1778In this paper, I publish my floristic data on some protected and strictly protected plant species collected in Hungary between 2016 and 2021. The data published in this paper cover 31 micro regions of Hungary, but most of them come from the Great Hungarian Plain, especially from Pest and Bács-Kiskun counties. I describe the occurrences of 41 protected and three strictly protected vascular plant species (two ferns and 42 flowering plants), some of which represent new data for the particular micro region or even larger geographical areas (e.g. Botrychium matricariifolium, Thlaspi alliaceum and Nasturtium officinale). For some species, the published data either come from floristically understudied areas (e.g. Ranunculus illyricus, Vinca herbacea and Cardamine amara) or are considered rare in the certain region and/or in the whole country (e.g. Apium repens, Cnidium dubium and Vicia narbonensis). For other species, the newly reported occurrences are presented as complement to the already known distribution data (e.g. Cephalanthera damasonium, C. rubra, Linaria biebersteinii, Sonchus palustris and Agrostemma githago). In support of the nature conservation actions, I provide data from the flora of some floristically understudied micro regions (e.g. Dorozsma-Majsai Sand Ridge, Bácskai Loess Plain) and try to highlight the role of canals in Hungary in species and biodiversity conservation, by the example of the Danube-Tisza canal. In this manuscript, I publish data on twelve protected plant species from the Danube-Tisza canal and its canal bank (eg. Peucedanum palustre, Carex paniculata, Clematis integrifolia).
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The Kámon and Herény source water protection area in the city of Szombathely as a refuge for protected plant species
123–125Views:226The hay meadows and protective forest strips of the Kámon and Herény source water protection areas in the northwestern part of Szombathely have been in good natural condition for decades. By harbouring populations of protected plant species (Orchis morio, Pyrola rotundifolia, Cephalanthera longifolia, Epipactis helleborine and Ophioglossum vulgatum), these areas resemble natural habitats found nearby in the Kőszeg Mountains and the Őrség National Park. The good semi-natural condition can be attributed to the lack of regular mowing in the case of meadows and the lack of disturbance in the case of forest strips. In recent years, however, the area have been exposed to increasing human disturbance (car and motorcycle off-roading), so it may be timely to initiate legal protection. This short case study indicates that properly managed source water protection areas can play an important role in the conservation of semi-natural habitats, rare and protected plant species and the associated fauna.
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Natural values of Mt Somsich near Villány, threatening factors and necessary conservation actions
55–62Views:80Although Mt Somsich is very rich in natural values, it is still a poorly-known part of the Villány Mts. Apart from a few scattered floristic data and a short habitat description, its vegetation is virtually unexplored. The aim of this paper is to characterize the natural and semi-natural habitats of Mt Somsich, give the current population sizes of the protected plant species, survey their threats, and offer suggestions for further conservation activities. Disregarding the totally artificial habitats, five habitat types were distinguished on Mt Somsich, of which the pubescent oak scrub is the most valuable. A total of 15 protected plant species have been reported so far, of which 11 are currently recorded on Mt Somsich. The local wildlife is affected by loss and fragmentation of habitats as well as illegal activities. The negative influences cannot be fully eliminated, but could be minimized.
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Rubus armeniacus Focke, an unnoticed invader in the Hungarian flora
220-228Views:99The authors report on the occurrence, distribution and invasion potential of Rubus armeniacus, a bramble species of Caucasian origin, in Hungary. The first verified records of the species are from the 1990s. It has established strong populations in ruderal habitats mainly around Budapest and some other cities, whereas its competiveness is rather weak in closed non-lowland forests rich in native bramble species. In terms of conservation, it constitutes a real threat to the vegetation of Pannonian sandy habitats. The results of this study also emphasize the importance of recognising "nonnative cryptic species" for ecology and conservation biology.
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Salutation of Professor László Almádi on his 80th birthday
3–15Views:143László Almádi, the 80 years old professor at the Georgikon Faculty of Keszthely University, has a several decades long history in teaching. During this period, he taught a large number of students in agriculture with an up-to-date agrobotanical knowledge, and launched the career of or had a great impact on many field botanists working in nature conservation. His ability to identify plants is excellent, and he did pass this knowledge on. Besides his huge fascination for plants, his precision, broad and well-founded knowledge serve exemplary for us. Professor Almádi’s rich life is presented in this tribute paper based on his personal stories and written publications, and is supplemented with our own memories, experiences. We cordially greet our Professor on the occasion of his birthday!
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Dactylorhiza traunsteineri (Saut. ex Rchb.) Soó: an unexpected record in the Romanian flora
15-24Views:89Dactylorhiza Necker ex Nevski is a complex genus. The taxonomy of these dactylorchids is widely considered to be complicated due to relatively high morphological variability within species and high frequency of hybridization between species. During a floristic survey of the Valea Morii (Morii Valley, Malomvölgy) Nature Reserve in June 2017, a population of Dactylorhiza traunsteineri (Saut. ex. Rchb.) Soó, a species with uncertain presence in the Romanian flora was found. In the Morii Valley, this narrow-leaved marsh-orchid was encountered in fen-patches, in phytocoenoses of the plant association Orchido-Schoenetum nigricantis Oberd. 1957. Due to the cool and wet microclimate of the Morii Valley, many glacial relicts and other plant rarities (e.g. Tofieldia calyculata (L.) Wahlenb., Swertia perennis (L.), Liparis loeselii (L.) Rich., Ophioglossum vulgatum L. Schoenus nigricans L.) had been able to survive on strongly humid places on calcareous soils. This study reports the first occurrence of D. traunsteineri in Romania confirming the presence of a highly debated taxon. We also discuss the morphological features, habitat preference and conservation status of this new species in the Romanian Flora.
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Rediscovery of Gymnadenia frivaldii Hampe ex Griseb. at its northern distribution limit (Eastern Carpathians, Romania)
213-220Views:178Frivald’s Gymnadenia is a very rare Balkan species in the South-Eastern Carpathians. The specific epithet “frivaldii” honours Imre Frivaldszky (1799–1870), a Hungarian naturalist. The species occurs in the drawdown zone of mountain fens of the Balkan Peninsula (Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania), at elevations between 1000 and 2300 m. In the Carpathians the species was first reported from the Ţarcu Mts (Southern Carpathians) by János Heuffel. In 1874 Simonkai collected a specimen (BP 33967) in the Retezat Mts, but he was uncertain about its identity, thus this record eventually appeared as G. albida (Pseudorchis albida) in his monograph. Since then the species has been found at several localities in both the Retezat Mts (Mt Peleaga, Zănoaga, Zănoguţa, Ana and Bucura glacial lakes, Judele Valley) and the Ţarcu Mts. This paper reports on the discovery of Frivald’s Gymnadenia in the area of “Szökő-láp” (Harghita Mts, Eastern Carpathians), which can be considered a confirmation of the old literature record. This is the northernmost locality of this Balkan species known so far. The chorology and conservation status of G. frivaldii in the South-Eastern Carpathians are discussed.
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Contributions to the flora of Western-Transdanubia (W Hungary)
213-234Views:121In this paper, we presented the results of our floristic survey in West-Hungarian region. The data were collected between 2005 and 2015 and supportted with herbaria or photo-documentation. This paper reports new floristic data of 98 taxa from West-Hungary with altogether 172 field-collected data records. In the survey we focused on little-known taxa with a phyto-geographic importance. For some taxa we checked the herbarium specimens of Savaria Museum and Natural History Museum of Budapest. During our fieldwork we recorded 8 species new to W-Hungary, including 3 species considered to be native to the region [Oenanthe banatica Heuff., Koeleria pyramidata (Lam.) P. Beauv., Polycnemum majus A. Braun.]. Almost all of the recorded species are regarded as indigenous plants, many of them has nature conservation importance, thus, their monitoring are highly advised. We found new localities of many species which of high importance for plant geography describing their current distribution. Most of the recorded species occur in natural or semi-natural habitats, but some taxa were found in synanthropic habitats and extensive arable lands.
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Contributions to the flora of kurgans in the Middle Tisza region
94–105Views:513Kurgans are ancient burial mounds built by nomadic steppic cultures. Embedded in the heavily transformed landscapes of the Carpathian Basin they often serve as last refuges for rare and endangered plant species. In our paper we publish floristic data collected on 82 kurgans located in the area of the Hortobágy National Park Directorate. Our dataset covers 64 CEU quarter quadrates, and the territory of 45 settlements. We provide data on 39 taxa that are either protected (e.g. Anchusa barrelieri, Centaurea solstitialis, Ranunculus illyricus and Phlomis tuberosa) or regionally rare (e.g. Aegilops cylindrica, Astragalus austriacus, Glaucium corniculatum and Trifolium diffusum). Our records demonstrate that kurgans have a vital role in maintaining the populations of rare and endangered grassland species even in transformed landscapes.
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The Wildflower of the Year campaign in Hungary
349-353Views:102The paper summarizes the previous history and recent purposes of the ‘Wildflower of the Year’ initiation, established in 2011. The main aim of this initiation is the promotion and familiarization of Hungarian flora, applying a public awareness campaign about the beauty, importance and ecological value of our spectacular wild plants. The ’Wildflower of the Year’ is selected by voting on internet (www.evvadviraga.hu). Starting from this volume the journal Kitaibelia publishes a monograph about the wildflower of the previous year.
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Floristic data from the Great Plain of Hungary (Alföld)
304–316Views:171In this study we report relevant occurrence data of 49 species and hybrids and their habitats from the Great Plain registered in the period between 2011 and 2017. Due to importance for nature conservation, we present additional data of further 13 species. Most of the data are originated from riverine oak-elm-ash forests of South East Hungary (from the region of Gyula, Békéscsaba, Doboz settlements). The most important result of our study is the rediscovery of Gagea minima and Dictamnus albus. Besides, we report new occurrence data for the Great Plain (Alföld), as well as for the flora of the microregions in questions (e.g. Draba muralis, Nicandra physalodes, Cystopteris fragilis) and also present the data of the regionally endangered species (e.g. Inula helenium, Ophioglossum vulgatum). Some rare weed taxa (e.g. Calepina irregularis, Cardamine impatiens), spreading adventive taxa (e.g. Chorispora tenella, Euphorbia maculata, Phytolacca americana, Ph. esculenta, Sicyos angulata) and in surveys rather underrepresented species (e.g. Loranthus europaeus, Arabis hirsuta, Rumex confertus) are reported too.
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Literature reviews
211Views:114Erdős L. (2023): Hogyan mentsünk bolygót – A természetvédelem története. Libri Könyvkiadó, Budapest, 185 pp. ISBN: 978-963-604-256-1
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Monitoring of the Apium repens population near Császártöltés (2006–2015)
1–8Views:162Detailed botanical surveys were carried out to monitor the population size of Apium repens in the Vörös-mocsár nature protection area (located in S Hungary, Császártöltés). We found a clear correlation between the water status and the land use type and management of the habitats and the size of the Apium repens population. Apium repens is a Nanocyperion-species, which simultaneously requires wet and open surfaces. Its population shrinks, becomes latent or disappears if its habitat dries out or any other radical transformation happens, like too much leaf litter, closure of the vegetation, or succession on the open peat surfaces. Proper management (water retention, extensive grazing, mowing, open peat surface) has a very positive effect on the populations in a short time, even within a growing season. The research was implemented within the framework of the National Biodiversity Monitoring System, in cooperation with the Kiskunság National Park Directorate.
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The Himantoglossum adriaticum Baumann in the East-Zala hills (W Hungary)
297–303Views:74This paper presents five new localities of the rare and threatened orchid Himantoglossum adriaticum in Zala county. The new localities falls within the known distribution area of the species. The population size on newly found locations are extremely small, in most cases only 1 generative individual were observed in the mesophilic secondary grasslands of abandoned vineyards. Highly possible, that this species shows a slow, but detectable expansion in Hungary, maybe due to recent climate change process.
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Contributions to the flora of railway-side pioneer habitats on Tiszántúl region
86–101Views:400Verges have considerable importance to preserve diversity in arable landscape. The modernized railway embankments are a great surface to the spread of native pioneer or adventive (invasive) plant species. The new data are about the flora of railway embankments mainly from Tiszántúl region. I present some species found on railway verges (e.g. Equisetum ×moorei, Equisetum ramosissimum, Lycopsis arvensis, Euphorbia maculata, Lepidium densiflorum Tragus racemosus, Vulpia myuros). An especially important new data is the refinding of Galium humifusum in Hungary. Locally non-native and adventive species can use the blanketing materials (sand or gravel) of railway embankments as dispersal corridor and colonize them. The railwayside habitats could contribute to the conservation of rare native pioneer species.
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Rediscovery of Orchis mascula subsp. signifera (Vest) Soó in the Keszthely Mts (Transdanubia, Hungary)
51–54Views:143Orchis mascula subsp. signifera is a rare, legally protected and endangered species of the Hungarian flora. Currently it is recorded from 25 flora mapping grid cell in Hungary. The westernmost Hungarian occurrence of the species was documented by a voucher collected by Dénes Gotthárd in 1976. After four decades the occurrence of O. mascula in the Keszthely Mts was confirmed in 2015. The local habitat preference and major threats to the taxon are briefly discussed.
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Data on spreading cultivated species in Hungarian botanical gardens
62–78Views:310Our article provides data of 186 spreading cultivated taxa in Hungary. Among these, the spreading of 40 species in botanical gardens was not known until now. During our work, we examined the arboretums of Tiszakürt, Szarvas and Erdőtelek, the agrobotanical garden of Tápiószele (located in the National Centre for Biodiversity and Gene Conservation), the botanical garden of the Eszterházy Károly Catholic University in Eger and the De la Motte Castle Park in Noszvaj. We collected further data on the lately identified Cardamine occulta and the spreading Veronica peregrina taxa, which spread mainly through plants sold in pots. Besides the already known two Juglans species, we found four new potentially spreading ones from the family of Juglandaceae (Carya cordiformis, C. ovata, Juglans cinerea and J. microcarpa). We also found seedlings and saplings in the case of all the investigated Abies species. We found the seventh Hungarian occurrence of Ludwigia grandiflora in the artificial lake of the Arboretum of Szarvas. The quantity of new occurrences reported in this paper highlights the need for further research in living collections in Hungarian botanical gardens.
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Contributions to the Atlas Florae Hungariae IX.
253–256Views:291The current paper is the 9th in the series aiming to provide new data to the distribution maps of Atlas Florae Hungariae. Data of 734 vascular plant taxa (from 222 flora mapping quadrats) are presented in this study. The new localities are spread across nearly the entire country; however, most of the data are from the North Hungarian Mts, the northern part of the Danube-Tisza Interfluve, the southern edge of Hanság, alongside River Maros and the Hortobágy. Altogether, 1632 new data records are presented in this paper. The list mainly contains rare and locally important native species, as well as species with uncertain native/alien status (e.g. Allium ursinum, Chamaecytisus triflorus, Cotoneaster niger, Cyperus pannonicus, Elatine triandra, Eleocharis acicularis, Eleocharis ovata, Erodium hoefftianum, Geranium lucidum, Globularia punctata, Hippuris vulgaris, Hottonia palustris, Lindernia procumbens, Marrubium vulgare, Ononis pusilla, Orobanche bartlingii, Orobanche cernua, Pisum elatius, Polycnemum majus, Polygonum graminifolium, Ribes nigrum, Schoenoplectus triqueter, Verbascum ×denudatum, Verbascum ×vidavense, Viola canina subsp. schultzii). We report new localities of expanding alien species (e.g. Amaranthus deflexus, Artemisia annua, Euphorbia maculata, Helminthia echioides, Hordeum jubatum, Impatiens glandulifera, Ipomoea purpurea, Mahonia aquifolium, Panicum riparium, Robinia viscosa, Rudbeckia hirta, Veronica peregrina, Yucca filamentosa) and mention a few rare, successfully “surviving” alien plants with nature conservation value (e.g. Acorus calamus, Monochoria korsakowii). Moreover, occurrences of common plants are presented when new to the Atlas Floraea Hungariae (e.g. Bromus hordeaceus, Symphytum officinale, Vicia tetrasperma).
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Land-use history of a habitat of fritillaries (Fritillaria meleagris L.) in W Hungary
25–30Views:104In Hungary, Fritillaria meleagris is known as a species of riparian woodlands however it forms large populations on meadows appeared after woodland clearance too. We monitored one such population on the floodplain of the small river Zala in Western Hungary near Tüskeszentpéter. To explore the history of land use on this site we used the maps of Military Surveys of Hungary, aerial photographs and archive documents (1720–2016). The first written records of the settlement (Tüskeszentpéter) built in a meander of the river Zala are dated to 1301. By 1784, the studied area was covered by wet meadows and only small fragments of forests, as it could be seen on old maps. That time the main livelihood was animal husbandry which required a lot of hay to be stored for winter. These floodplain hay meadows were very productive. Between 1895 and 1930, after the regulation of river Zala flow most of meadows were transferred into arable fields. Small-scale farming almost disappeared by 1960s because of ‘collectivization’. Big hay-cut machinery started to be used and this way of land farming can be seen on the meadows nowadays too. Fritillary populations occur only in areas which have been continuously managed as hay meadows for 300 years. Over six years of observations (2012–2017) the number of annually flowering Fritillaria individuals varied from 630 to 5314. As traditional animal husbandry is no longer economical in Hungary, the maintenance of these historic floodplain meadows depends on different nature conservation supports.
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Contributions to the algal flora of a recently-formed peat moss bog near Kőszeg (W Hungary)
113–130Views:367The Alsó-erdő peat bog near Kőszeg has undergone a significant transformation since its first mention in the literature. In addition to the original single patch, a smaller one appeared a few decades later. The process did not stop and a third unit, discussed here, was formed. The succession of its macrovegetation towards the typical peat moss association started slowly but surely, due to balanced water regime and other optimal environmental conditions. The process is more advanced for the algal vegetation, which shows the characteristics of peat bogs already. The high species diversity found makes the habitat highly valuable itself. Although a special, unique algal species has not been found in previous studies, 27 Desmidiales taxa listed as endangered occur sometimes with high density and make the habitat even more valuable. Based on our results, the area deserves special attention both from the habitat conservation and research point of view. At the same time, its further monitoring can provide crucial information for exploring and understanding the succession of similar habitats, and thereby for their more efficient protection.
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Discovery of a new large population of Prunus tenella on a young old-field suggests remarkable regeneration ability of the species
32-38Views:302Kurgans are ancient burial mounds built by nomadic steppic cultures across Eurasia.
These monuments are important cultural landmarks, and often also preserve the remnants of dry grasslands even in intensively used agricultural landscapes. In the past centuries, many kurgans have been ploughed and their vegetation has been destroyed. Due to their recent inclusion in the agrienvironmental schemes in Hungary, crop production has been ceased on many kurgans in the past years. Here we present an interesting botanical discovery which we made during our country-scale survey of spontaneously recovering grasslands on kurgans. We discovered a large population of approximately 15,000 shoots of the protected loess grassland plant Prunus tenella Batsch (syn.: Amygdalus nana L.) on the Fekete-halom kurgan near Tiszainoka, in the centre of the Great Hungarian Plain. The mound had been used as an intensive cropland until 2014. Most probably, the plants could re-establish from some hidden shoots that could persist in the refuge provided by the concrete elements of a geodesic mark, and after the cessation of ploughing it could expand onto the north and west-facing slopes of the mound by sprouting and by germination from the persistent soil seed bank. Besides the conservation importance of this floristic discovery, it also suggests that spontaneous regeneration can be an effective restoration measure and that kurgans abandoned from agricultural cultivation can serve as suitable habitats for rare and endangered species. -
The Wildflower of the Year 2016 in Hungary: snake's head fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris)
79–100Views:841In this paper a short review of the nomenclature and etymology, taxonomy, morphology, histology, life cycle, phenology, reproduction, habitat preference, biotic interactions, biologically active compounds, micropropagation, applications possibilities and conservation status of snake's head fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris L.) can be found. Refining of the European distribution area and contributions to the distribution in Hungary are also presented. Primer seed-set, thousand-seed weight, soil charac¬teristic and demographic data are published.
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Reseda inodora Rchb. in the Tiszántúl region (East Hungary)
48-54Views:145On 14 August 2012 a small population of Reseda inodora was found in Hegyes-halom kurgan within the administrative boundaries of the town of Mindszent (Csongrád County, CEU: 9487.3). The approximately 50–100-stem-large population of the species lived on the edge of the kurgan, on the sparsely vegetated, weedy fieldmargin. On 19 July 2014 this species has turned up again in this area. In this case it was the biggest amount with some hundred stems and was located on the edge of the mound, which is in the verge of the neighbouring corn field. The Reseda inodora is a new recent protected vascular plant species within the operation area of the Körös–Maros National Park. We propose this species to be included in the regional red list in the category of „CR” (Critically endangered). Other rare weed or pioneer species (Caucalis platycarpos subsp. muricata and subsp. platycarpos, Erodium ciconium, Lappula squarrosa, Melica transsilvanica, Papaver hybridum) have already been found in Hegyes-halom kurgan in the last few years. The results show the importance of kurgans not only in the conservation of natural steppe, loess wall vegetation and steppe shrub species, but in the survival of some endangered weed species as well (e.g. some rare archaeophytes).