Effect of species environment on host preference of Cuscuta campestris

Cuscuta campestrisis one of the mos twidespread and most harmful parasitic plants in theworld. It regularly infests economically important crops substantially reducing their yield. Its host preference has been frequently investigated in natural habitats, but studies have usually been performed at only one site. In this study, I tested the hypothesis that host-preference studies performed at a single siteprovide information only about local individuals of the host species and not about the species of hosts in general. The preferential status of host species was investigated in different geographical regions, indifferent species environments. Altogether 1847 relationships between parasite and plant species were examined and categorized at 171 places in Hungary.The used method took into account the frequency and intensity of infestations on the hosts, the proportion of resource use and availability, the resource distribution as well as the defence mechanisms of the hosts. The frequency and intensity of infestations greatly varied amongst the 174 detected host species. The results confirmed that frequently parasitized hosts of C.campestrisare not necessarily preferred. Most host species have infestations of varying intensity indifferent species environments. Poaceae species were found to differ from each other in the extent to which they support the parasite’s growth. The study revealed also that C. campestrisdoes not always develop haustoria on individuals of those species, which areunable to contribute significantly to its growth

The bryoflora of the Pinka Gorge

The River Pinka originates in eastern Austria and reaches the territory of Hungary at first near Felsőcsatár. The river cuts through the Nagyvilágos Hill forming a gorge. This unique landscape is home to special flora and fauna. The authors have been studying the bryophyte diversity and distribution patterns in the Pinka Gorge in April, July, and August of 2016 and in March, April and July of 2017. The examined area was ca. 2500 m long and maximum 60 m wide along the right side of the river. During the field study, altogether 140 bryophyte species – 115 Bryophyta and 25 Marchantiophyta species – were found in this highly valuable Natura 2000 territory. The main reason for the quite high bryophyte diversity may be the several different habitat types that can be found in this area. Authors succeeded in finding occurrences of several vulnerable and endangered species, such as Isothecium myosuroides Brid. (EN), Porella arboris-vitae (With.) Grolle (EN), Amphidium mougeotii (Bruch & Schimp.) Schimp. (VU), Bryum pallens Sw. ex anon. (VU), Leiocolea collaris (Nees) Schljakov (VU), Nowellia curvifolia (Dicks.) Mitt. (VU), Eurhynchium flotowianum (Sendtn.) Kartt. (VU), Orthotrichum patens Bruch ex Brid. (VU), Ulota bruchii Hornsch. ex Brid. (VU). The results emphasize the importance of further research in this area

Plagiothecium latebricola, new member of the Hungarian bryoflora

During the systematic fi eld studies aimed at exploring the recent bryophyte fl ora of the Kőszeg Mts and in the framework of grid-cell based bryophyte recording, Plagiothecium latebricola Schimp. was discovered in the Kőszeg Mts. Th e size of the population is estimated and the habitats are characterized. Illustrations, a short description and a taxonomic key are provided to distinguish it from the other species of Plagiothecium in Hungary. Although P. latebricola might possibly be found in other parts of the country as well, it is known only in one location so far. Consequently, the species should be considered as critically endangered (CR)

Host range, host and habitat specificity of the Hungarian cuscuta species

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Remarkable results of recent field explorations in the Kőszeg Mts

The Kőszeg Mts are among the best studied areas of Hungary with respect to bryophytes. Nearly 400 species were reported from the Hungarian part of the mountains, which is partly due to favourable conditions of climate, bedrock, soil, and biotope diversity. However, a large part of the data was collected at the end of the 19th or the beginning of the 20th centuries, whereas there was no extensive bryofloristic research in the past 40 years. The authors began their field work in the Hungarian part of the mountains in 2015, and since then recorded nearly 40 species new to the area. In the course of our explorations, we succeeded in finding three species new to Hungary: Heterocladium heteropterum (Brid.) Schimp. and Rhabdoweisia crispata (Dicks.) Lindb. were collected from shaded rock in the valley of ’Hármas-patak’, whereas Plagiothecium latebricola Schimp. was detected on the partly rotting bases of alder trees (Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn.). Further remarkable records concern species which were rated data-deficient, without recent occurrences, in the red-list of 2010: Heterocladium dimorphum (Brid.) Schimp., Bryum mildeanum Jur., Leiocolea badensis (Gottsche) Jörg., Pellia epiphylla (L.) Corda, and Pohlia annotina (Hedw.) Lindb. We also succeeded in finding new occurrences of the critically endangered Warnstorfia exannulata (Schimp.) Loeske, and of 9 more endangered and vulnerable species: Buxbaumia viridis (Moug. ex Lam. & DC.) Brid. ex Moug. & Nestl., Diplophyllum obtusifolium (Hook.) Dumort., Isothecium myosuroides Brid., Leptodon smithii (Hedw.) F. Weber & D. Mohr, Dicranum spurium Hedw., Brachythecium reflexum (Starke) Schimp., Leiocolea collaris (Nees) Schljakov, Taxiphyllum densifolium (Broth.) Reimers, Ulota bruchii Hornsch. ex Bri