Zs. P. Komáromy szerk.: Studia Botanica Hungarica 14. 1980 (Budapest, 1980)

Szerdahelyi, Tibor; Hably, Lilla: Rare ferns of Hungary II. New species in Hungary: Osmunda regalis L.

STUDIA BOTANICA HUNGARICA (Antea: Fragmenta Botanica) XIV. 1980 p. 73-78 Rare Ferns of Hungary II. New species in Hungary: Osmunda regalis L. By T. SZERDAHELYI and L. HABLY (Received November 28, 1979) Abstract: During a collecting trip in the Nature Preservation Area of Bares (near Darány) in July of 1978, in the alder fenwood of Nagyberek, the authors discovered a new member of the Hungarian flora: Osmunda regalis L. Besides the description of the locality, the results of coenological investigations are published. Owing to its unique natural environments, the surroundings of Bares (South-West Hungary) have betn well known for a long time. It had been proposed to protect the region of the stream Rigóc as far back as in 1931, but the project was realized only in 1974 when the "Nature Preservation Area of Bares" (henceforth abbreviated NPAB) was established (Map. 1). Under different natural environmental conditions many kinds of plant communities develop in this region. Extensive common juniper plantations (

Juniperus communis L.) can be found on the dry, acidic sands (

Festuca-corynephoretum-juniperetosum

). The Old Juniper Woodland (close to the village of Istvándi) is best known for its beauties. The presence of Lycopodium clavatum L. and Nardus stricta L. is notewothy. There is such an undisturbed world of living beings in Nagyberek faart of the NPAB) that is incomparable in our country. On the swampy region, known as Csirkota, we have found an further locality of marsh pennywort (

Hydrocotyle vulgaris L.) wich occurs sparsely in the NPAB. Many scientists investigated and collected in the aiders-sphagn

ums-bog but the presence of Osmunda was unknown so far. This bog remained undisturbed up to the present day. In July of 1978 at the margin of the bog we came across huge, magnificent "bouquets" of Os munda regalis L. (Fig. 1-2). There were some 30 stocks with leaves of more than one metre long, well developed sporophyllums on every stocks. We gathered sporiferous fronds of the previous year, too. In Nagyberek Osmunda regalis L. grows only on that single, restricted locality. This colony hides itself among alders and oaks at the margin of the fenwood. The old oaks visibly are the last seed trees of the former oakforest surrounding the copse, for a few metres farther there is a young Scotch fir (

Pinus silvestris

) plantation. The alders-sphagnums-bog is an ideal place for Osmunda regal is L.

, since this species farours limeless, acidic soil, stagnant swamps and humid, mild climate In winter (Hegi 1927). The species is found along the Atlantic Coast of the world (Foerster 1978) (Map. 2). Osmunda regalis L. prevailed here presumably due to the same environmental complex that made it possible for

. Sphagnum to subsist. Seedlings of Osmunda regalis L. had been found in 1979, it means that the species can be propagated (ex verbis of T, Seregélyes). The Osmundaceae family is represented by this single species In the recent flora of Europe (Map. 3). Considering the distribution of this species in Europe (Jalas et Suominen 1972), this locality is remarkably far from the others. There are also two doubtful data (Jávorka 1925) in the Transylvanian AlpB and in Yugoslavia (Snezhik Mt. ). The species is an Atlantic member of the European flora, its presence is quite unexpected in Hungary. According to recent data this locality is the most continental one in flatlands. The