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)

alba) there is a small stand of Carex acutiformis in a water-logged depression where, interestingly, two weed species typical in dry habitats, Asclepias syriaca and Calamagrostis epigeios, do also occur. Presumably, there were even drier periods in the area during which these plants could settle in. Site No. 4 Elevation: 140 m. Different parts of the strongly degraded grasslands lying between the bank and the Ipoly river dam are of different physiognomy and their species composition varies according to their history of disturbance and management. Three main types of these grasslands may be distinguished: 1) degraded, more or less wet, mesophilous grassland (probably originating from eutrophic (hay) meadows); 2) degraded, more or less dry, pasture-like grassland; 3) semidry to dry, tall herbaceous ruderal vegetation (probably originating from ruderal riverine communities). The smaller or larger patches of these grassland types often alternate with each other with a markedly sharp edge, but sometimes with transitional stands occupying a more or less wide belt (for example, in places where the dominance of Bromus erectus and B. inermis is taken over by Festuca pseudovina and Cynodon dactylon). The trends of dynamism in the grassland composition may be well illustrated by a not-too-rare phenomenon of the presence of certain mesophilous species. E.g. stunted individuals of Sanguisorba officinalis, Lythrum virgatum, Lysimachia vulgaris, Symphytum officinale, Carex acutiformis, C.flacca, Centaurium minus, Iris pseudacorus, Stachys palustris, Angelica sylvestris as "reminders" or "relics" of plant communities, existed here previously, try to survive now with great struggle mingled in a grass (or better to say, weed) community composed mainly by Agropyron repens and Calamagrostis epigeios, etc. The meadows (being scythed in some places up to the present) which occupy the wetter sites are mostly dominated by Bromus erectus (in some locations where over-sowing has been practised, Bromus inermis is codominant). Besides these, Arrhenatherum elatius, Alopecurus pratensis, Poa pratensis, Dactylis glomerata are additional species playing important role in composing the communities. In these degraded grasslands, inhabited mainly by very common species, Galium boréale (quite frequent in some sites) or Gratiola officinalis are plants worthy of mentioning. The only protected plant (being found so far) is Clematis integrifolia which occurs in about half a dozen locations within the site (only 1 to 10 individuals at each location). Numerous weeds and disturbance tolerating species are spreading quite visibly (e.g. Agropyron repens, Rubus caesius, Xanthium sp., Bi-