B. Papp szerk.: Studia Botanica Hungarica 34. 2003 (Budapest, 2003)
Szurdoki, Erzsébet: Peat mosses of North Hungary
METHODS The nomenclature of bryophytes follows CORLEY et ai (1981), CORLEY and CRUNDWELL (1991 ) and GROLLE (1983), for the vascular plants SIMON (2000) and for the associations BORHIDI and SÁNTA (1999). The author has been investigating peat mosses since 1994, hitherto all known Sphagnum localities had been visited at least twice and among others their Sphagnum flora was investigated. Numerous specimens were collected and they were identified also by microscopic way. These collections are now part of the Bryophyte Herbarium of BP. The earlier collections (specimens of the Bryophyte Herbaria of BP and EGR) have mostly been revised. The following sources were consulted during this study: publications, floristical notes of BOROS (1915-1971) and VAJDA (1933-1978) (preserved at BP), the bryological collections of BP and those of Botanical Department of EKE (EGR) and the Bryophyte Herbarium of Zoltán Tóth (Dept. of Plant Taxonomy and Ecology, L. Eötvös University). RESULTS Section Sphagnum This section is easily recognisable, because the species are normally large and robust, with distinct capitula and tumid branches. In Hungary, it can be confused only with S. squamosum, but the branch leaves of the latter are mostly squ arrose. In Hungary, 3 species of this section may be found and all of them occur in the investigated area. Sphagnum palustre L. It is a robust, normally pale green plant with brown or red-brown stem. It can be undoubtedly distinguished from S. centrale and from the green form of S. magellanicum with microscopic investigation. The stem leaf is large, spatulate and usually fibrillose. The cross section of branch leaf is typical for the species: the green cells are triangle to trapezoid shape and highly inflated on the abaxial (dorsal) and slightly on the adaxial (ventral) leaf surface (DANIELS and EDDY 1985). In Hungary, S. palustre is relatively widespread, it lives in bogs, fens, willow or alder swamps, on forest soil and on moist roadside embankments. In North Hungary it is also widespread (Table 1 ). Nowadays it can be found in Nyírjes-tó, Nagy-Mohos, Kis-Mohos, Báb-tava and Nyíres-tó and in the Zemplén Mts. It was found in Lókosár in 1999 (SOMLYAY and LŐKÖS 1999). In the last decades it has disappeared from Navat and Futyó-völgy, and became less frequent in Nyírjes-tó (SZURDOKI and NAGY 2002). In 1994 it was reported from Kis-tó (KRÖEL-DULAY 1995), but later has disappeared. The largest population lives in
