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

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

arching forward and almost reach the apex of the leaf. C. praemomum (Fig. 3) was found together with a more gracile type {Cornus sp. Eig. 4) in the Bertece valley. Two genera and species of the family Caprifoliaceae came to light from the valley of the Paris stream. New species to the science and the flora are Lonicera lipthayana ANDR. (ANDREÁNSZKY 1959) and also Viburnum cfr. tinus L. The family Oleaceae which has been known since the beginning of the Tertiary is represented by three genera and five species. It is known only from the valley of the Paris stream. Among them Forsythia hungarica ANDR. was a species new to science described from here (ANDREÁNSZKY 1959). Fraxinus excelsior L. is frequent in Hungarian Tertiary floras (Magyaregregy, Egerszalók, EgerTihamér). Diospyros brachysepala AL. BR., which has tropical relations is the characteristic tree of the Neogene floras. It occurs only sporadically at the Paris stream locality. It is known both from the flora of the sandstone with footprints at Ipolytarnóc and from the Lower Pannonian of Rudabánya or Erdőbénye and Mád. The family of IJImaceae is the richest in species (21 taxa) among the Nógrádszakái floras. Thenwere found mostly in the Paris valley. KOVÁCS (1959) in their paper could separate seven Ulmus and two Zelkova species in the material of the Szécsény Museum. Because of the fragmentary condition and the thick epidermis layer covering the nervure I could identify only one Ulmus (U. carpinoides GOEPP. Plate III: 3) to the specific level. The other finds which occurred in great number are summarized under the name Ulmus sp. It is probable that several species are present among them. Ulmus plurinevia UNG. and Zelkova ungeri Kov. are the characteristic species of older Miocene and Pannonian floras. The family Betulaceae

• (Alnus, Betula, Ostrya, Carpinus) is represented by four genera. Their two species, Alnus crebrinervis É. KOVÁCS and Ostrya antiqua GRUB, are known only from the valley of the Paris stream like the major part of the other taxa of the family. This is connected by all means with the formerly more humid biotope. From the Bertece valley Ostrya atlantidis UNG. came to light, the leaves of which are 6.5-7 cm long and 3 cm wide. The family Fagaceae is represented by 3 genera of which Quercus is the most frequent one. They occur mostly in the Bertece valley. Also several Quercus types are important elements of the flora; Q. pontica miocaenica KUBÁT (Plate I: 2, Fig. 5) and Q. kubinyii (Kov.) CZECZOTT are frequent. The dimensions of Quercus pontica miocaenica specimens do not reach those of specimens found at Felsőtárkány. The greatest length of the leaf-impression found at the type locality reaches 22 cm, its width is up to 11 cm, while the length of impression which was uncovered in the Bertece valley is +14 cm, with a width of 6-4 cm. The leaves are widest always in the upper third part, the margins are aristated-denticulated, the nervure is craspedodromous. Secondary veins join at an angle of 55-60° to the main one. Their angle is greater than the one observed in Q. kubinyii which also may be found in the Bertece flora. It is highly probable that in the flora of the Bertece valley they coexisted with Parrotia and Populus species, elements of the riparian forest of the bottom of the valley, although Quercus species did not live directly on the wet bank of the river but on higher ground with drier soil (KOVÁCS 1957). The evergreen hard-leafed oak, Quercus pseudoalnus ETT. is known only from the valley of the Paris stream. It is represented only by a single find. This species was very frequent in the Bánhorváti flora (ANDREÁNSZKY 1959). The 4 genera and 7 species of Juglandales are the elements found first of all in the flora of the valley of the Paris stream. The exact specific identification of the many fragmentary specimens is difficult, for two specimens possible only to the family. The most frequent species is one of the genus Pterocarya, namely P. denticulata (WEB.) HEER. The strongly elongated obovate leaves with camptoddromous nervure of this species were observed in several floras in Hungary. Its frequent occurrence probably due to the fact that being a tree growing near water it lived also in the neighbourhood of its later place of fossilization (ANDREÁNSZKY 1955). Two specimens of another Pterocarya species, namely P. paradisiaca (UNG.) IL'IN (Plate I: 3) came to light from the valley of the Bertece stream. Both specimens were poorly preserved and are in fragmentary condition. Length of the leaves is 5.7. and 6.5 cm, respectively both are 2.3 cm wide. The family Salicaceae is the dominant element of the valley of the Paris stream. Both of its genera contibute to the flora, with 133 impressions of 3 species of willows and with 313 impressions of 6 species of populars which represent the 26.7 % of the total number of finds, so they constitute the most recurrent genera of the site. In addition to the many fragments first of all Populus balsamoides GOEPP. (Plate III: 2) is frequent (78 specimens) as well as a new variant of it described from here, i. e. Populus balsamoides GOEPP. var. obesa KOVÁCS (KOVÁCS 1959). Its characteristics are the extremely long pedicle and the sparsely denticulated margin. The specimens are big, their average length is 10-15 cm. Secondary veins, except the lowermost one, start at an acute angle (40-50°). In the flora of the Bertece valley willows are absent while poplars form 7.5% of the finds. They are represented mostly by Populus populina (BRONG.) KNOB. (Plate I: 4). At other localities this species occurs only