Matskási István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 83. (Budapest 1991)

Fischer, O. ; Hably, L.: Pliocene flora from the alginite at Gérce

Ericaceae Vaccinium L. Vaccinium sp. (Plate VII: 3, Fig. 25) Material: No. 90. 32.1. (1 specimen). Description: Fragmentary leaf; its length is 2.8 cm, though the original length must be about 3.3 cm. Breadth 1.3 cm, apex acute, base is missing. Margin entire. Venation craspedodromous. Between secondary veins a polygonal fine network is present. FLORISTIC AND CLIMATIC INTERPRETATION The most dominant species of the flora are Quercus kubinyii, Zelkova zelkovaefoüa and Ulmus ruszovensis. All the other species are accessory; among them the family Juglandaceae is most frequent. Buxus pliocenica was found in the Hungarian palaeoflora for the first time, however, it had been describen in other European Pliocene flora in several places (KVACEK, BÛZEK & HOLY 1982). On the basis of the flora two plant associations can be distinguished. - Riparian forest, with Ulmus ruszovensis as dominant species, together with some accessory elements, like other Ulmus species and Populus tremula. The latter one was also found in several European Pliocene localities, but it was only an accessory element (MAI & WALTHER 1988). - The other type is the mixed-mesophytic forest. The majority of the species belongs to this association. It mostly consists of broad-leafed deciduous species, only Buxus pliocenica is evergreen. The dominant species are Quercus kubinyii and Zelkova zelkovaefoüa, to which further Quercus species associate as accessory elements. Juglans acuminata, Carya serraefolia, Juglandaceae gen. et sp. indet., Platanus leucophyUa, Carpinus grandis, Acer subcampestre take part in the formation of the tree stratum. Shrub level comprises Parrotia pristina, cf. Rhus sp., Vaccinium sp., and Buxus pliocenica. The latter probably lived on those parts of the forest which were more open and better exposed to sunshine. In the flora which consist mostly of this leaves, the skinlike leaf of Buxus pliocenica does not indicate xerophyl character (BERGER & ZABUSCH 1953). According to MAI & WALTHER (1988) they are Mediterranean elements of the Pliocene florae. This type of forest can be characterised by its two dominant species: Zelkova zelkovaefoüa and Quercus kubinyii. We cannot drow direct comparison between any of recent woods and the mesophyl wood in Gérce because the geographic situation and the climatic changes since old times do not allow them. The riparian forest can be considered an intrazonal vegetation depending on edaphic factors to a great extent while the mixed-mesophitic forest which was characterised with Quercus kubinyii - Zelkova zelkovaefoüa can be considered zonal vegetation in the Pliocene. This latter association consists of species which mostly occur in Miocene, also. On the basis of the zonal vegetation climate can be characterised as follows: the majority of the species is deciduous although thermophilous whose relationship today