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)

dens tripartitus, Cirsium arvense, Solidago gigantea, Urtica dioica, Arctium lappa, etc.); at some locations Calamagrostis epigeios is found in large amounts. Mainly on the edges of the meadows and along the drainage ditches various shrubs are coming up (e.g. Amorpha fruticosa, Frangula alnus, Rosa canina and Salix cinerea). The patches of dry degraded grasslands, variable in size, are composed more or less of the same common species as the grasslands of wetter habitats, however, these areas are dominated by Festuca pseudovina and Cynodon dactylon. Calamagrostis epigeios is frequent in the dry grasslands, too. In the semidry/dry areas covered by tall herb ruderal vegetation Agropyron repens and Calamagrostis epigeios are the most characteristic species. Beside these, Rubus caesius and Asclepias syriaca also form large patches in many places. Sporadically, spontaneously colonising shrubs can be detected. In the narrow strip of fragmented riverine white willow woodland which follows the Ipoly river Echinocystis lobata is very frequent with locally dense stands of Helianthus decapetalus. Site No. 5 Elevation: 140 m. In its position, this site and the main features of its vegetation are similar to that of No. 3. It shows the picture of a once rich and now disintegrating plant community. In the strongly degraded grasslands common (and phytosociologically indifferent) species are dominant and the area is infected by large masses of weed (Asclepias syriaca enters the Carex acutiformis stand here, too). Interestingly, in some parts of the site degraded fragments of swamps, large sedge communities, Molinia meadows, mesophilous (lowland eutrophic) meadows - which existed here previously - can be found, or at least their character species (e.g. Irispseudacorus, Alopecurus

pratensis, Angelica sylvestris, Cirsium Canum, Galium boréale, Lychnisflos-cuculi, Sanguisorba officinalis, Serratula tinctoria, Inula salicina, etc.) are present in varying quantities. Remnants of riparian woodlands (strongly degraded fragments of riverine willow-poplar and oak-elm-ash stands) along the stagnant water-like portions of the cut bends of the Ipoly river are important in the site. In these Salix alba, Populus alba, P. canescens are frequent, at some locations Padus avium and Ulmus laevis represent the oak-elm-ash woodlands, accompanied by scattered specimens of Alnus glutinosa everywhere. Acer negundo marks the degradation in the tree layer and Amorpha fruticosa plays the same role in the shrub layer though it is not common here yet. In the herbaceous layer Rubus caesius, Urtica dioica, Humulus lupulus, Chelidonium majus, etc. are dominant, while the "original" communities