B. Papp szerk.: Studia Botanica Hungarica 32. 2001 (Budapest, 2001)

Hably, Lilla: Rhamnus warthae Heer, an important element of the Central Paratethyan region during the Egerian

Studia bot. hung. 32, pp. 5-12, 2001 "RHAMNUS" WARTHAE HEER, AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF THE CENTRAL PARATETHYAN REGION DURING THE EGERIAN L. HABLY Department of Botany, Hungarian Natural History Museum H-1476 Budapest, Pf. 222, Hungary; E-mail: hably@bot.nhmus.hu "Rhamnus " warthae HEER is an important, characteristic element in the Central Paratethyan region during the Egerian. It was published under several different names, which are revised and summarised here. Cuticle of the leaves have never been preserved, but based on its quite characteristic, and clearly observable venation, it is well identifiable. Its occurrence is limited to the Hungarian, as well as to the Transylvanian (Romanian) Egerian basin. It was one of the most important hygrophilous elements of the Egerian flora and vegetation in the Hungarian and Transylvanian Palaeogene basins. Key words: "Rhamnus" warthae, Egerian, Central Paratethys, Hungary, Transylvania, swamp vegetation INTRODUCTION During the systematic revision of the flora of the Egerian holostratotype, namely the Eger-Wind brickyard (KVACEK and HABLY 1991), several leaf specimens published already by ANDREÁNSZKY (1966) under numerous names turned out to be a taxonomically consistent group predominating the flora. Since he assigned specimens belonging to the same taxon into different systematic groups, the mass occurrence, and importance of the species became apparent. The leaves of this plant were published first time by HEER (1872), from the Zsil Valley from Transylvania (Romania) under several names. Later STAUB (1887) also mentioned it from the same locality, using even more different names (see in the Systematic part). During the study of the other Egerian localities of Hungary by HABLY (1988, 1989, 1993a, 1994) the leaves were found belonging to the same species and identical with the leaves from the Eger-Wind brickyard (HABLY 1988) for the first time. The systematic revision of the flora of the Eger-Wind brickyard (KVACEK and HABLY 1991) has clarified, that the leaves from the Zsil Valley described by STAUB (1887), as well as the leaves from the Eger-Wind brickyard described by ANDREÁNSZKY (1966) belong to this species. In the list presented below all synonyms are given that were found during or before this recent study. Almost two hundred undetermined and unpublished specimens of this species were studied reStudia Botanica Hungarica 32, 2001 Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest