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Data on the occurrence of sedge species (Carex, Cyperaceae) in and around South Nyírség (East Hungary)
165-198Views:423We provide floristic data on a total of 38 sedge species in the area of South Nyírség and its immediate surroundings. We also detected some populations of previously undescribed or rare species in the Hungarian Great Plain, such as Carex buxbaumii, Carex hartmanii, Carex umbrosa, and Carex paniculata. We report several new occurrences of species with little literature data from the area, such as Carex brizoides, Carex michelii, Carex pallescens, Carex elongata. However, during the last 13 years, we were not able to detect seven species previously mentioned in the literature. Herbarium data confirmed that some of the older Carex nigra occurrences for the area actually refer to Carex cespitosa. Based on herbarium data and the literature, we think that local data on Carex pairaei may largely refer to Carex divulsa subsp. leersii and/or Carex spicata. Contrary to many pieces of literature, Carex vulpina was not observed inside the sandy area.
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Historical occurrence of Spergularia echinosperma, a rare Nanocyperion species in Hungary
3–9Views:300Three species of the genus Spergularia have been known from Hungary. The most widespread one, Spergularia rubra (L.) J. Presl et C. Presl occurs on young sandy fallow fields and other disturbed habitats. The other species, S. marina (L.) Bess. and S. media (L.) C. Presl, occur sporadically in saline grasslands, and both have been recently spreading along salted roads. During a revision of the genus Spergularia in Hungarian herbaria, specimens of the species S. echinosperma (Čelak.) Asch. et Graebn. were found. It is a rare species previously known to occur only in Czechia and Germany and to be extinct in Austria and Slovakia (a few occurrences along the Morava and Danube rivers between 1909 and 1953). However, it was recently discovered in Western Siberia and Kazakhstan. It is a typical mudflat plant that occurs on exposed sandy shores of water bodies. Two herbarium sheets collected by Gyula Tauscher from near the village of Ercsi (riverbank of the Danube) in 1903 were found in the Carpato-Pannonicum collection of the Hungarian Natural History Museum. In addition, a new specimen was found, collected in Slovakia (Danube near Šamorín, collected by Mihály Résely in 1868) at the vicinity of the Hungarian border. The species was not confirmed during a field inspection of the target localities in Hungary; therefore, we have to consider it extinct in the country as well as in the whole Pannonian Basin. Recently, S. echinosperma was split into two subspecies – subsp. echinosperma and subsp. albensis. The subsp. echinosperma is probably restricted to fishponds in the SW part of Czechia and subsp. albensis occurs mainly in the floodplains of the river Elbe in Germany. The extinct populations of S. echinosperma in the Pannonian Basin belonged to the subsp. albensis. This taxon is morphologically close to S. rubra but can be reliably distinguished by densely verrucose seeds and shorter than wide stipules.
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Lajos Felföldy: a prominent Hungarian botanist and hydrobiologist
3–25Views:213Lajos Felföldy (1920–2016) was one of the most versatile and open-minded Hungarian biologists. He began his scientific career as a student of Prof. Rezső Soó. Between 1938 and 1946 he participated in geobotanical studies in University of Debrecen and Kolozsvár (Cluj-Napoca, Romania). He contributed with important achievements to the development of several biological disciplines. His pioneering study on the effects of air pollution on epiphytic lichens (1942) was among the firsts in the world. He described Hemitherophyte life-form as a discrete unit within Raunkiaer's plant life-form system (1942). He was a pioneer in the cytological (caryological) study of wild vascular plant species in Hungary (1947–1949). His results regarding to primary production of freshwater algae and algal culture (1958–1960) were in leading edge. In 1972 he founded and until 1990 edited the Hungarian series entitled ‘Vízűgyi Hidrobiológia’. Books of this series aimed to publish identification keys of freshwater taxa. These books were proved to be decisive and useful tools for Hungarian hydrobiologists in biological classification of brooks, streams, rivers and different types of stagnant waters. Between 1934 and 2009 he collected more than ten thousand herbarium sheets. After his retirement, he dealt with the revision of the herbarium material of Department of Botany in Hungarian Natural History Museum and Botanical Garden of Eötvös University (Budapest). He participated in the preparation of the New Hungarian Herbal. His scientific work was characterised by deep humility for nature, which was founded on strong theoretical and practical background.
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Contributions to the distribution of Arabis nemorensis (Cruciferae) in Hungary
155-169Views:117Arabis nemorensis is a poorly-known species with sparse and mostly uncertain literature records in Hungary. A complete list of its known occurrences was presented in Soó’s synopsis in 1968. A few new records of this taxon have been reported since then. In the present study all literature records were evaluated by means of revision of Hungarian herbarium materials. Several vouchers were succesfully traced, and their identity as A. nemorensis was confirmed (Baja, Ercsi, Lesenceistvánd, Miskolc, Nagykanizsa, Szigetújfalu). In other cases, the putative vouchers belonged to A. hirsuta or A. sagitatta, thus the corresponding literature records proved to be erroneous (Balatonmáriafürdő-alsó, Gyenesdiás, Kőszeg, Vasboldogasszony, Zalaújlak). On the other hand, hitherto unknown Hungarian localities of A. nemorensis were revealed, specifically in the Bükk Mts. (Eger, Kács), the Bakony Mts. (Márkó), in the western Balaton region (Hahót, Hévíz, Keszthely-Fenékpuszta, Nyirád, Tapolca) and the Hungarian Plains (Csákvár, Debrecen, Egeralja, Fertőd-Eszterháza, Kiskőrös, Lébény, Ócsa, Sárszentmihály, Szigetszentmiklós). The species appeared to be new for the phytogeographical regions Bakonyicum and Nyírségense. Additionally, a few specimens of A. nemorensis collected outside the territory of present-day Hungary were revised in BP. The historical occurrence of the species at Torja (Turia in Romania) is documented by two specimens (Schur, 1853, as A. gerardi; Jávorka & Keller, 1943, as A. hirsuta). Another specimen that was collected in 1879 at Óbecse (Bečej) and labelled as A. glastifolia by Kovács was found to be A. nemorensis too. Since the identity of Schneller’s literature record (1858) from Futak is uncertain, Kovács’s specimen is currently the only, though historical record of this species from Vojvodina province in Serbia. Further specimens of A. nemorensis were discovered in the collections of Lengyel. They were collected and labelled as A. sagittata near Pomogy (Pamhagen) in 1910 (and questionably in 1919), probably representing the first gathering of A. nemorensis from Burgenland state in Austria.
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Distribution and identification key of Rubus L. ser. Micantes in Hungary
56-68Views:83Based on a substantial field-work and herbarium revision carried out between 2007 and 2014, the authors present the taxonomical evaluation of recently known representatives of Rubus L. ser. Micantes Sudre in Hungary, providing the first grid-based distribution maps and an identification key of four species of the section (Rubus balatonicus Borbás, R. clusii Borbás, R. styriacus Halácsy, R. tabanimontanus Figert) for Hungary.
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Taxonomic revision of alien Ludwigia species in Hungary
153–164Views:298Some tropical Ludwigia species have been planted as ornamentals in Hungarian thermal springs since the 1920s. Although they have become naturalised or even invasive in a few places, their specific identity remained generally uncertain. Our herbarium and field studies revealed that three species of alien water-primroses occur in Hungary. The most frequently planted one is Ludwigia repens, which is, however, a sporadic species in its native distribution area. We have found this species in several parts of the country. Although a few escaped and self-sustaining populations were also observed, this species has appeared to be non-invasive so far. Ludwigia grandiflora appeared in Hungary at the beginning of the 2000s. At the moment it is known from three localities, though spreading rapidly, becoming already invasive in its locality at Tata city. A similar species, L. peploides has recently been reported from two localities, where it forms small stands; the success of its naturalisation can be assessed in the future. We found no evidence for the Hungarian occurrence of L. alterniflora that had been published from Eger city. Therefore we suggest deleting this species from the current Hungarian checklist.
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Contributions to the subspontaneous occurrences of Malva moschata (Malvaceae) in Hungary
200–202Views:178Malva moschata is an alien species in Hungary, seldom cultivated as garden ornamental plant. Although considered as occasional escapee from cultivation, Hungarian literature has only cited Budapest as an example of such cases thus far. During a revision of the Malva collection in BP herbarium, several specimens were traced (mostly erroneously labelled as Malva alcea) which demonstrate subspontaneous occurrences of the species, primarily from the Transdanubian region (Hungary). The vouchers are hereby listed, arranged in alphabetical order of localities (settlements). Literary connections, if relevant, are briefly discussed.