Szekessy Vilmos (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 58. (Budapest 1966)

Kol, E.: Snow algae from the valley of the Morskie Oko Lake in the High Tatra

field above the Morskie Oko Lake the dominant species was Chlamydomonas nivalis WILLE ; this snow is on a granite area, hence this silicotroph snow surface shows, in favourable conditions, a rosy or reddish snow seston discoloration. On 19 October, 1950, J. SIEMINSKA (1951 a, p. 3) collected, at 1500 m a.s.l. below the Mieguszowiecki Peak above the Morskie Oko Lake, red snow caused by Chlamydomonas nivalis WILLE. In the words ofthat author (1. c): „On 19th October 1950 on the flake of an old snow beneath the Mieguszowiecki Peak above Morskie Oko-lake in Tatra (about 1500 m above the sea level) was to be seen the red bloom of Algae Chlamydomonas nivalis WILLE". I submit on the following table the microorganism community of this snow. The table shows the occurrence above sea level of the cryobiont species, the relative amount of their occurrence in the snow samples, and the character of the microorganism. As is to be seen from the table, the vegetation of the snow above the Morskie Oko Lake is rich in species. I found in the snow samples 23 differenct kinds of microorganisms, of which 16 were cryobiont and 7 cryoxenous species (Table 1). The data of the cryoxenous species are not given, only their occurrences in the snow samples indicated; these microorganisms are not discussed at all in the taxonomical section of the paper. The 23 microorganisms consisted of 15 Chlorophytes (12 cryobionts and 3 cryoxens), 4 Cyanophytes (1 cryobiont and 3 cryoxens), 3 Pungi (2 cryobionts and 1 cryoxen), and 1 cryobiont Chlorobacterium. Algae Chlorophyta Volvoeales Carteria nivale Kol, var. minor var. nova (Plate I, Figs. 6-8) Oval or elliptical, 8—10 jx long and 4—6 \x wide cells with thin cell-wall. Chloroplast ribbon-shaped, without pyrenoid. Flagellae about as long as cell. Stigma round, . in anterior part of cell. I described the species Carteria nivalis KOL from the green snow of the Fogaras Alps and the Retyezát massif of the South Carpathians (Kol, 1949 a). The specimens found in the valley of the Morskie Oko Lake are smaller than the nominate form. I found them in rather great numbers in the snow samples under discussion, indeed, the living material kept in culture had later proliferated in masses. Carteria nivale KOL, var. minor var. nova. (Tab. L, Fig. 6-8) Proximum adest at Carteria nivalis KOL sed differt ab ea : in dimensione cellularum (8—10 \i x 4—6 u.). Habit in nive vallis laci Morskie Oko, Montium Tatraensium. Abbreviations : Gy = GVŐEITY, K = KOL, Pa = PARYSKI, P = POSPISIL, S = SIEMINSKA, Sch = SCHERFFEL, S-K = STAKMACH-KAWECKA. Numerical values used in the table: 1 = one or two specimens, 2 = several specimens, 3 = many. Species indicated by a cross ( + ) are new for the High Tatra, cb = cryobiont, cx = cryoxen.