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Present study describes a new community type recently found in the Hungarian Mountain Range (Bakony). The so-called top-forests (Veratro nigri-Fraxinetum orni) are found in dolomite mountains where the steep southern and northern slopes are connected by a relatively flat surface, and the parent rock is covered by rendzina soil. The southern slopes are occupied by thermophilous oak woodlands (Orno-Quercetum pubescentis), the northern slopes are covered by oak-hornbeam (Carici pilosae-Carpinetum) and beech woodlands (Daphno laureolae-Fagetum). Top-forests (Veratro nigri-Fraxinetum orni) are found on flat ridges, and substitute for Turkey oak-sessile oak (Quercetum petraeae-cerris) and slope woodlands (Mercuriali-Tilietum). The community is characterised by xerophilous canopy and shrub layers and a mesophilous herb layer. It is placed in the Orno-Cotinion coenological group.
Ecological indicator values, widely used botany, are empricial scales worked out for the most important factors. Values of enviromental factors determine the position of the vegetation units in a multidimensional abstarct space. Their latest version in Hungary is the catergory system of Borhidi (1995), which is adjusted ti the European systems (e. g. Ellenberg et al. 1992). Indicator values or categories, respectively, can be found, according to European practice, in a relational computerised database (Horváth et al. 1995) which is accpeted as a standard for the botanists. An example of isoline analysis, completed using ecological indicator values of vegetation samples, is presented on a modell area in Mecsek Mts of South Hungary. It has varied vegetation with diverse kind of human interference near Pécs. From the existing indicator values applied here temperatur (TB), water demand (WB) of plants and soil reaction (RB). Each single isocurve was constructed from the similar indicator values on a computerised way (Surfer 6.1). All the curves were made by the use of avarages, single values and certain groups of ecological indicator values. Only the figures amde by the avarages are presented here, because there is no additional unformation in the case of the use of single curves. Curves of temperature and water indicators (isoTB, isoWB) show climatic conditions changed by human impact. Curves of soil reaction (isoR) show in a given moment the actual vegetation, in time dimension that parts of enviroment wich are more sensitive to acidification. Analysing isoecological curves, human impact is easily recognisable (e.g. in surroundings of clear-cuttings, etc.). On the basis of our results added to monitoring system enviromental impacts of future industrial and forestry establishments can be modelled. Isolines, using above-mentioned indicator values help to reveal and quantify enviromental change, which is model-valued posibility for preparing enviromental impact studies and making quick decisions.
Birdseye primrose (Primula farinosa subsp. alpigena) is a strictly protected plant species of the Hungarian flora. Natural occurrences of the species are known from two fen meadows situated in a tectonic depression accompanying Lake Balaton. The restoration and management of recipient vegetation have a great importance because of the wide range fluctuation in number of individuals of the species for several years. In 2001 coenological behaviour was examined in classical and meso scale. Field data were collected by modified Zürich-Montpellier method and 1 m × 1 m quadrats as transects marked by environmental gradients with cover estimation by eye collecting presence-absence and quantitative data. Examining the classical and transect quadrats ecological indication, preferences and significance between species and habitats were revealed focusing on Birdseye primrose. In addition 8 soil parameters were analysed in Primula rich and Primula free sites of the habitats. The aim of our investigation was to broaden the knowledge about the biotic and abiotic habitat preferences of Birdseye primrose. According to our results not only the textural features (e.g. species composition, abundance) are insufficiant to save this species from extinction but the pattern and physiognomy of vegetation have more significance. The tussock-fen window complex provides prominent situation with its nudum surfaces offering favourable abiotic conditions and low competition. The effects of other characteristics of preferential sites (e.g. gap size, litter or moss cover) in micro scale are substantial in all probability. With this knowledge restoration and managing plan were executed focusing on two aspects: the maintenance of population size via directed seed dispersion and plantation and controlling of biotic as well as abiotic factors in the natural habitats.
Fens are among the most threatened habitats in Europe as their area has decreased considerably in the last centuries. For successful management and restoration conservationists need detailed knowledge about seed bank formation and seed longevity of plants, as these features are closely related to successional and vegetation dynamical processes. I analysed seed longevity and the germination characteristics of six fen plant species by seed burial experiments. Based on seed weight, seed bank was expected for long-term persistent for the light-seeded Schoenus nigricans, Carex appropinquata, C. pseudocyperus, C. davalliana and Peucedanum palustre and also that for the medium-seeded Cicuta virosa. It was proved that, the latter two species have short-term persistent seed banks, while Carex pseudocyperus has a transient seed bank, therefore these species may only have a limited role in restoration from seed banks. It was found that Schoenus nigricans, Carex appropinquata and C. davalliana have persistent seed banks, because some of their four-year-old seeds have emerged. Fresh seeds had low germination rate in all studied species and majority of seeds emerged after winter, except for Carex pseudocyperus. After the germination peak in spring, the majority of the ungerminated seeds of Schoenus nigricans, Peucedanum palustre, Carex appropinquata, C. davalliana and Cicuta virosa entered a secondary dormancy phase that was broken in autumn. I found the seasonal emergence of the latter three species highly similar.
Jamaicanthus, a new monotypic endemic genus of the tribe Rondeletieae (Rubiaceae) in the flora of Jamaica is described based on Rondeletia laurifolia Sw. It is interpreted as a new important argument supporting the Gaarlandia theory.
A new plant association (Roso pendulinea-Tilietum cordatae), similar to the Poo nemoralis Tilietutm cordatae Firbas et Sigmud 1928 (Central European siliceous block field forest), has been dexcribed. This forest commuity develops on the periglacial block fields of southern Slovakia (cerová Vrchovina, syn.: Nógrád-Gömör basalt region). The community has been separated from the Mercuriali-Tilietum Zólyomi et Jakucs 1958 common in the submontane belt of the Pannonicum using phytocoenological comparative analyses.The ecological demand and the species combination cleary distinguish this association from the older forest communities described earlier from northern periglacial block fields of Hungary.
The last synthetic treatment of the Rogiera genus was published by D. Lorence in the Flora Mesoamericana (Vol. 4, part 2) based on a polyphyletic concept including two genera of different tribes and leaving the results of the molecular studies out of consideration or misinterpreting them (Lorence 2012). Rovaeanthus has been distinguished at first by Johan Rova upon comparative molecular studies (Rova 1999, Rova et al. 1999, 2002). Micro- and macromorphological studies revealed that the basic differences between Rogiera and Rovaeanthus are in the structure of the flowers and the shape and cell-patterns of the seeds as they were correctly presented and illustrated by Borhidi (2006, 2012) and Borhidi et al. (2004). These are: Rovaeanthus has a special form of corolla-throat, consisting of fleshy ring – as in Rondeletia – and a superposed hairy ring, like in Rogiera. This combination of the corolla-features is unique in the Neotropical Rubiaceae. Anthers are subbasal in Rovaeanthus, dorsifixed in the middle in Rogiera. Ovary disc with naked ring in Rogiera and hairy in Rovaeanthus. Shape and ornamentation of the seeds are completely different in the two genera (see below). In these features there are not any intermediate variation, between the two taxonomic units as it is suggested by Lorence. The present treatment is based on the original strictly monophyletic concept of Rogiera pointed out by Planchon (1849) and detailed by Borhidi (1982) and Borhidi et al. (2004) including into the study all (15) valid species of Rogiera and two species of Rovaeanthus. The separation of the two genera has been confirmed by later, more detailed molecular studies (Manns and Bremer 2010, Rova et al. 2009) establishing that the two genera belong to two different tribes: Rogiera belongs to Guettardeae, while Rovaeanthus is a member of the Rondeletieae tribe. It is important to mention, that Rovaeanthus was originally accepted as a valid genus by the World checklist of Rubiaceae (2006) and later has been re-classified into Rogiera in 2012, under the influence of the Lorence’s inaccurate treatment.
A new genus was described based on Portlandia guatemalensis Standl. of uncertain taxonomic position. The proposal of D. H. Lorence to place it into the genus Coutaportla Urb. as C. guatemalensis (Standl.) Lorence has not been supported by the discovery of a new species of Coutaportla (C. pailensis) nor by the molecular taxonomic studies of the group either. The differences of floral morphological, ovary and seed anatomical characters existing between the actually known three Coutaportla species of Lorence are the following: 1.) Placentation: all the three species belong to the Portlandia-complex (Urban 1923, Aiello 1979). Within the complex the placentation is one of the more important, fundamental feature in distinction and separation of the genera (Urban, 1923, Aiello 1979). Coutaportla has a unique form of placentation, the Coutaportla-type with a central-horizontal quadrangular placenta with determined number and position of ovules: 2–3 ascendent and 2–3 colgate separately positioned ones (Aiello 1979). This type of placentation is found only in Coutaportla ghisbreghtiana (the type species of the genus) and in C. pailensis. Coutaportla guatemalensis (Standl.) Lorence has a different form of placentation, with a basal-ascendent placenta and vertically arranged undetermined number of tile-likely arranged ovules, which is of Hintonia-type (Lorence 1986, Borhidi 2003). 2.) Morphological differences: five–six further important differences are found in the stipular, floral and seed morphology of the two Mexican (C. ghisbreghtiana and C. pailensis) and the one Mesoamerican (C. guatemalensis) species (Borhidi 2003, see below in the table). 3.) Molecular differences: the two species group have distant placements in the molecular cladograms of Chiococceae tribe belonging to two different major clades (Motley et al. 2005, Manns and Bremer 2010). All these differences seemed to give satisfactory amount of arguments for the separation of C. guatemalensis as an independent monotypic genus, the Lorencea Borhidi 2003, as endemic to the Mesoamerican flora, dedicated to the honor of D. H. Lorence, who has made numerous important discoveries and successful efforts to promote our knowledge about the Mexican and Central American Rubiaceae. The presented arguments convinced the experts of the World checklist of Rubiaceae to accept it as a valid new genus (Govaerts et al. 2006). As an obvious phytogeographical consequence of all these previous investigations, Coutaportla Urb. turned to be a Mexican endemic genus with two species living in the states Coahuila, Puebla and Oaxaca, of México and Lorencea Borhidi a monotypic endemic one of Mesoamerica, living in the states Chiapas of México and Guatemala. It was a surprise, that in the Flora Mesoamericana (2012): appeared the genus Coutaportla represented by C. guatemalensis (Standl.) Lorence, reducing Lorencea into synonymy with the following sentence: “No hay características de C. guatemalensis que apoyan su separación como género monotípico, como propuso Borhidi”, which is obviously an orbital lie with full knowledge of the above detailed facts. The treatment of the genus Coutaportla en la Flora Mesoamérica is a collection of inadmissible taxonomic inconsequences, starting with the modified generic protologue of Coutaportla by Ochoterena 2012 non Urban 1923, but attributed to Urban without amendment, which is a falsification of the original description of Urban based on a new type and including alien elements without new original studies (see Flora Mesoamericana 4.2: 69). Not to mention the absence of the obligatory citation of the criticised paper of Borhidi, and the fundamental publications of Aiello (1979), Motley et al. (2005), Borhidi (2006), and Manns and Bremer (2010). Therefore, the critical treatment of the genus Coutaportla with the re-establishment of Lorencea is a scientifically well-based, obvious, taxonomic necessity.
Two species was described as new ones and published in the second edition of the monograph: Rubiáceas de México utilized illegitimate names, which turned to be invalid synonyms (Govaerts 2016). These are rectified in the following paper.
The nectary morphology of six Hungarian and one grown Mediterranean leafy spurge (Euphorbia) species was studied and compared. Glands with various horns were found in E. amygdaloides L., E. cyparissias L., E. esula L., E. myrsinites L. and E. virgata W. et K. Nectary without horns is characteristic to E. palustris L. and E. polychroma Kern. Cuticle pattern of the glands was different and characteristic to the species. E. amygdaloides has no cuticle wrinkles. Special letter shaped wrinkles were found in the species, for example „H” shaped in E. cyparissias, E. esula, E. palustris and E. virgata. Wrinkles in E. myrsinites have several branches; they could be „Z”, „W”, „Y” and „E” shaped. The nectar of each studied plants contained fructose, glucose and sucrose. An unknown sugar was found in E. cyparissias only.
