B. Papp szerk.: Studia Botanica Hungarica 35. 2004 (Budapest, 2004)

Szollát, György; Schmotzer, András: Contributions to the flora and vegetation of the environs of Balassagyarmat (Hungary)

Site No. 1 Elevation: 140 m. This is a low area with depressions and excavated pits of varying size with some open water surface. It is covered by marsh vegetation which appears almost natural though a bit characterless. Patches of reed and bulrush (Typha spp.) beds are alternating with stands of non-tussock large sedges depending on the depth of the open water. Weeds appear mainly along tracks. At somewhat higher elevations, patches of disturbed lowland meadow develop, hardly associated with any phytosociological category. Site No. 2 Elevation: 140-145 m. This is a small hump rising a few metres above its flat surroundings covered with considerably degraded vegetation. As remnants of a former, "original" vegetation, there are a few mature Quercus robur trees on its northern side. The rest of the site is largely a young Robinia pseudo-acacia plantation with Prunus spinosa scrub and some patches of grassland. On treeless spots and partly below the thin Robinia plantation we recorded numerous species characteristic to the natural looking slope steppe grasslands - regionally considered to be "good ones" - such as Asparagus officinalis, Filipendula vulgaris, Genista tinctoria, Peucedanum oreoselinum, Phleum phleoides, Potentilla impolita, Salvia pratensis, Veronica spicata, Viscaria vulgaris and even a protected species of steppe woodlands, Iris variegata, of which we noticed numerous polycormons. It is worth mentioning additional characteristic species like Galium boréale, Inula britannica var. viridis, Serratula tinctoria found at the edges of the site. Site No. 3 Elevation: 140 m. South from the embankment of the Ipoly river (outside the flood area) strongly degraded, tall herb meadows are found, infected with numerous weed species (e.g. Calamagrostis epigeios, Agropyron repens) partly because of overall disturbance and partly as the habitat is getting drier. Species of the once characteristic wetland environment can only be found sporadically or in small patches. Some of the species so characteristic in marshes, beds of non-tussock large sedges, Molinia and lowland eutrophic meadows are represented by a few specimens only (e.g. Butomus umbellatus, Epilobium parviflorum, Iris pseudacorus, Lythrum virgatum, Carex riparia, C.flacca, Colchicum autumnale, Deschampsia caespitosa, Festuca pratensis, Galium boréale, Serratula tinctoria, Agrostis stolonifera), while others (e.g. Alisma plantago-aquatica, Phalaroides arundinacea, Carex acutiformis) occur in large masses. Under the only group of trees ( Salix