Rare and endangered segetal weed species in the Silesian Upland (s Poland) recorded in the last twenty years.

Beata Węgrzynek

beala.wegrzynek@us.edu.pl
Department of Plant Systematics, University of Silesia (Poland)

Teresa Nowak

Department of Plant Systematics, University of Silesia (Poland)

Abstract

The paper presents a list of the rarest endangered segetal weeds recorded in the Silesian Upland during the previous two decades (1989-2009) with threat categories as well as their distribution concentration map. In the area researched, fifty red-listed taxa (i.e. species, subspecies, and forma) considered to be endangered on a regional and/or national scale were recorded. Thirty-five of them constitute the group of the rarest species (up to 20 localities in the studied area). Lythrum hyssopifolia (included in the Polish Red Data Book of Plants), Adonis aestivalis, Anagallis foemina, A. arvensis fo. azurea, Filago arvensis, Fumaria parviflora, F. rostellata, F. schleicheri, Kickxia elatine, Misopates orontium, Saxifraga tridacylites are among the most interesting segetal weed species noted in the study area. Archaeophytes are the most dominant; however, there is also a remarkable group of apophytes. One species, i.e. Portulaca oleracea is a_kenophyte, while Fumaria parviflora has the status of an ephemerophyte in Polish flora. In the northern part of the Silesian Upland (mesoregions the Tarnowskie Góry Ridge and the Chełm) and in the north-eastern part (the Jaworzno Hills) the concentration of the analyzed species localities corresponds to the presence of calcium-rich rendzina soils as well as to the traditional agricultural methods still commonly applied in that area. A decrease in the number of stands of a vast majority of calcicolous weeds including the character species of the Caucalidion lappulae alliance was observed. Moreover, the analysis of relationship between some environmental factors and the endangered species by using CCA was tested...

Keywords:

apophytes, archaeophytes, andangered weeds, red-listed taxa, southern Poland, the Silesian Upland