Matskási István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 87. (Budapest 1995)

Erdei, B.: The Sarmatian flora from Erdőbénye-Ligetmajor, NE Hungary

ANNALES HISTORICO-NATURALES MUSEI NATIONALIS HUNGARICI Tomus 87. Budapest, 1995 p. 11-33 The Sarmatian flora from Erdőbénye-Ligetmajor, NE Hungary by B. ERDEI, Budapest ERDEI, B. (1995): The Sarmatian flora from Erdőbénye-Ligetmajor, NE Hungary. - Annls. hist.-nat. Mus. natu. hung. 87: 11-33. Abstract - The Sarmatian flora of Ligetmajor was studied. The floristical analysis was followed by a floristical and palaeoclimatological reconstruction. Since mainly Mediterranean and xcrophytic elements form the flora the climate must have been Mediterranean with dry and hot summer and mild winter. Finally the flora of Ligetmajor was compared with the classical floras of Erdőbénye (Barnamáj and Kővágó-oldal). Although the floras of Ligetmajor and Kővágó-oldal are quite similar, some interesting differences exist between the two floras. With 22 figures and 4 tables. INTRODUCTION I have been studying the Sarmatian flora of the siliceous earth mine in Erdőbénye-Ligetmajor since 1992 (Figs 1-2). Geologically there are formations of the middle and upper Sarmatian and Pannonian namely hydroquartzite, diatom, silicified argillaceous silt, rhyolitic tuff and andésite (Fig. 3). I have collected more than 700 prints of 36 plant species. The private collection is deposited in Debrecen in the eastern part of Hungary. I have compared the palaeoflora of Ligetmajor with two other floras of Erdőbénye, notably Barnamáj and Kővágó-oldal. After a detailed analysis I attempted to reconstruct the palaeogeography and palaeociimatology of the area in Ligetmajor. The Tokaj Mountains form a part of the Tokaj-Eperjes Mountains (extending from Eperjes to Tokaj) in the northeastern region of Hungary. The siliceous earth of Ligetmajor can be found in a tectonic subsidence bounded by pyroxene andésite and siliceous earth stones. From the north and northeast the area is bounded by the Sarmatian rhyolitic and volcanic centre of a hill called Erdőhorváti-Szokolya (the age of its olivine-pyroxene andésite according to a total K/Ar dating examination is 10.9+0.5 million years; PÉCS KAY 1983). From the south and from the east the region is closed by the pyroxene andésite stones of a hill called Szár Erdőhorváti-Szokolya. The tectonic subsidence is filled with rhyolitic tuff and tufite. Pyroxene andésite laccolith has penetrated into these stones. Because of the erosion some of them have come to the surface such as Barnamáj and Mulató Hill. Two other localities of Sarmatian plant fossils have been recorded in Erdőbénye for a long time (KoVATS 1856a, ANDREÁNSZKY 1959). In Barnamáj, in the southern part of the village plant fossils are in a fine, grey clay layer which was lifted up by an andésite laccolith. Unfortunately it has been worked out totally. One-and-a-half to two km northwest of Barnamáj a new locality was opened up in Kővágó-oldal. White rhyolitic tuff contains the fossils in this region. The floras of Barnamáj and Kővágó-oldal are so similar that their age is considered to be the same. HAJÓS & PÁLFALVY (1964) described plant fossils from the siliceous earth mine in Ligetmajor. The bedding stone is clayey silt which was soaked secondarily with silica. Presumably silicic acid originated from the upper rhyolitic tuff and diatomaceous earth by solution and migrated into the clayey silt.