B. Papp szerk.: Studia Botanica Hungarica 34. 2003 (Budapest, 2003)
Buczkó, Krisztina: Diadesmis brekkaensoides (W. Bock) Moser, Lange-Bertalot et Metzeltin: a new aerophytic diatom for the Hungarian flora
Studio bot. hung. 34, pp. 5-10, 2003 DIADESMIS BREKKAENSOIDES (W. BOCK) MOSER, LANGE-BERTALOT ET METZELTIN: A NEW AEROPHYTIC DIATOM FOR THE HUNGARIAN FLORA K. BUCZKU Department of Botany, Hungarian Natural History Museum H-I476 Budapest, Pf. 222, Hungary; E-mail: buczko@bot.nhmus.hu Diadesmis brekkaensoides (W. Bock) Moser, Lange-Bertalol et Metzeltin, a very rare aerophytic diatom was found in the Kiskőhát shaft in the Bükk Mts. A dense population of algae, perfectly corresponding with the original description of Bock in 1963, was found on a wet rock in the deep shadow. So far, the author could not find more than two other reports of this species; the first one from the Alps, the second one from New Caledonia. Key words: aerophytic, diatom, Kiskőhát shaft, cave INTRODUCTION The algal flora and vegetation of Hungarian caves have been relatively well studied. Several algologists dealt with the subject of algae in caves and their findings have been summarised from time to time (HAJDU 1977, RAJCZY 1989). Recently, however, the study of the flora and vegetation of cave entrances, the lamp-lit flora of show caves has slowed down. In the 1980s several caves were visited by researches from the Botanical Department of the Hungarian Natural History Museum to collect algological samples and some results have been published (BUCZKÓ and RAJCZY 1989, RAJCZY et al. 1986). Kiskőhát shaft was also visited during that period. An interesting diatom was found there in 1986 which was identified only years after its collection. MATERIAL AND METHODS Nowadays Kiskőhát shaft is a 117 m deep inactive sinkhole with a total length of 479 m, situated in the Bükk National Park, under the Kiskőhát peak (938 m) at 915 m elevation near Nagymező (Fig. 1 ). It developed in Triassic limestone and it is one of the strictly protected Hungarian caves, being home for thousands of bats (SZÉKELY 2003). Algological samples were collected on 22 April 1986. During the sampling procedure the coating was scraped from wet rock, from 5 different locations situated 3, 5, 6.5. 10 and ca 16-18 m downwards from the entrance. Sample No. 3 was a blue-green coating on the wall, while sample No. 4 was a brown, curled undulate, gelatinous, thin layer. The samples were preserved with formaldehyde solution (end concentration: 2-A%) and living material was also studied. Permanent diatom slides were made with H 2 0 2 , treatment and the material was then embedded in Hyrax.
