Kaszab Zoltán (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 76. (Budapest 1984)

Kordos-Szakály, M.: New data to the Miocene flora of Nógrádszakál (Hungary)

water level. This plant lived here in great numbers. These finds indicate that the remains accumulated here were probably not transported by water to that place but the leaves of the trees which grew on the spot had fallen directly to on the closing sediment. Among gymnosperms Ginkgo adiantoides (UNG.) HEER and Tetraclinis brogniartii ENDL. species came to light only from the valley of the Paris stream. While Ginkgo is a characteristic representative of the Neogene flora, the genus Tetraclinis ( = Callitrites) is known from the Paleogene and older Neogene (Óbuda. Eger). It is a highly drought-resistant plant, ecologically it corresponds to hard leaved evergreens. Cercidiphyllum crenatum (UNG.) BROWN is the representative of a genus which was widespread in the Tertiary all over the Northern Hemisphere. It is very frequent in our Miocene floras (Buják. Bánfalva, Balaton, Felsőtárkány, Rudabánya, Rózsaszentmárton etc.) It is possible that it thrived under a cooler climate (KOVÁCS 1957). Within the family Lauraceae Daphnogene sp. is of paleotropical occurrence. It was found in the Bertece valley in the form of only one impression which indicates that this family existed in the shrublevel. With a very few number of individual it was a truly relic element of the flora. From the valley of the Paris stream ANDREÁNSZKY (1959) described a new species of Aristolochiales, Aristolochia nogradensis ANDR. The dominant element of the Bertece valley is Parrotia pristina (ETT.) STTJR. A characteristic feature of the many impressions preserved in good condition is that the lower part of the margin is intact while at the apical part they are repand or roughly denticulated; a vein runs to every tooth. The lowermost pair of side veins of the shoulder of the leaf starts from the same point. Their dimensions are highly variable, length varies between 2.9 and 8.0 cm. width between 1.5 and 4.6 cm. On the basis of the finds of the Bertece valley two basic morphotypes can be separated within Parrotia pristina; an ellipsoid one with an obtuse apex which has a repand margin at the upper part of the leaf and another one which is more elongated. From the medial part it becomes increasingly narrow toward the apex with rough teeth along the margin (Fig. 2, Plate 1:1). Parrotia remains are frequent in younger Miocene floras as members of the riparian forests of the valley-bottom. The genus Platanus, in existence since Cretaceous times, is represented in the Miocene and thus in the Nógrádszakái flora, by Platanus aceroides GOEPP. which is frequent mostly in the river-valleys of mountains. The specific assigument of the fragmentary specimens with a long pedicle and lobated leaves with palmate nervure is difficult. In the shrub-level of the valley of the Paris stream there is a warmth-loving evergreen, Prunus cfr. laurocerasus L. As in the Rózsaszentmárton flora this species is an element of the shrub-level association which had a warmer micro climate than the level of the foliage. Another macrotherm element of both sites of the Nógrádszakái flora is Weinmannia sp. Its evergreen bushes are not hardly under our climate. They are very frequent in Tertiary formations, especially in older layers. The 4.2-4.8 cm long and 1.7-1.9 cm wide leaf remains are not fully complete. The shape of the leaves is ellipsoid with an obtuse base, becoming evenly narrow toward the apex. The margins are wholly denticulated. Secondary veins starting from the strong, straight main vein form a slip-knot system, the starting angles at the medial part of the lamina are 60-65°. The dominant element of the valley Paris stream is Acer palaeotataricum KOVÁCS (in ANDREÁNSZKY 1959) appearing as a new species (Plate II: 1-3). In the description it is one of the characteristic elements of the sandstone flora at Nógrádszakái which can be connected with South-east European and West Asian recent A. tataricum, as it is also clear from the name of the new species. The recent species is widespread in the highlands and hilly regions of Hungary and though it has only modest requirements as regards heat and humidity, it still frequently occurs on the banks of streams and sometimes in humid valleys. It is generally shrub — like as it does not possess a high arboreal stature. In those places where it has is of mass occurrence at Nógrádszakái the describer of the species supposed the existence of a parkland high-shrubbery vegetation which lived beside the gallery forets of Populus balsamoides var. obesa É. KOVÁCS having an ecology similar to the latter one (É. KOVÁCS 1959). Later this species was also found by Legányi at Verpelét, but in the form of a trilobated leaf having a three-fold composition. Because of its composite character ANDREÁNSZKY (1961) connected it with the species group of Acer negundo L. The material which I studied contains 98 remains of "Acer" palaeotataricum É. KOVÁCS. 20 impressions show a composite character of the leaf beyond doubt while the other 78 fossils are in fragmentary condition. This composite character, which is not characteristic for the genus Acer, draws attention to the necessity of the taxonomic revision of this taxon. Among the Sapindus species which are not frost-hardly and require relatively little precipitation, Sapindus ungeri ETT. was also found in the flora of the Bertece valley. The leaves are not wider than 2 cm and have camptodromous nervoure. The species is of mass occurrence at Erdőbénye while at Bánhorváti occurs in small number together with S. facifolius A. BR., as one of the elements of the mixed forests of southern slopes (CZIFFERY 1955, KOVÁCS 1957).