There is an enormous diversity in the structure of the flower palate of the carnivorous rootless genus Utricularia. This study aims to examine the structure of the palates in Utricularia bremii Heer and U. minor L of the Utricularia sect. Utricularia, which have a glandular palate type. In both species, the palate has only one type of glandular trichomes. Because of the occurrence of cell wall ingrowths in its glandular cells, any exudation may be transported via eccrinous secretion. It was proposed that the palate trichomes of the examined species act as scent glands and that the palate may play a role as an unguentarium. Both U. bremii and U. minor are of an open flower type. Thus, U. bremii and U. minor flowers can be penetrated by small, weak insects, which then easily have access to their generative structure. Small Hymenoptera (member of families Mymaridae and Braconidae) were observed as flower visitors of the male-sterile species Utricularia bremii.
New localities of Vertigo geyeri Lindholm, V. moulinsiana (Dupuy) and V. angustior Jeffreys were found in 2011-2014, in three provinces in Poland: Wielkopolskie, Lubuskie and Podlaskie. The field survey was preceded by pinpointing potentially suitable habitats using maps, orthophotomaps and available botanical data. Each of 60 sites was explored in situ for molluscs for 60 minutes. We discovered 4 sites of V. geyeri (Podlaskie province only), 17 sites of V. moulinsiana (8 in Wielkopolskie, 5 in Lubuskie and 4 in Podlaskie) and 27 sites of V. angustior (5 in Wielkopolskie, 8 in Lubuskie and 14 in Podlaskie). In western Poland the vertiginids were found usually in wet or damp sedge meadows bordering lakes, small rivers or ditches whereas in the eastern part of the country the studied species were found in alkaline fens with thick brown moss layer.
In recent years, three large populations of Cyperus flavescens were found in Poland, the richest occurrence of this species in over 30 years. The goal of this research is to determine the habitat factors lead to the mass occurrence of C. flavescens and the present situation of that species and its habitat in Central Europe. Soil conditions of the three populations were studied. To determine the correlation between the occurrence and abundance of species and the chemical parameters of the soil, the DCA and CCA methods were used. The DCA of environmental Ellenberg values was made for all relevés known from Poland. The occurrence of C. flavescens in plant communities in Central Europe was studied. The maximum entropy method was used for potential distribution analysis of C. flavescens. All analyzed traits are important for this species and none has an advantage over another, so the environmental factor affecting the occurrence of C. flavescens is different from the tested. Analysis on Ellenberg values indicate that the longest gradients are temperature, moisture and nutrients. The analysis of vegetation data involving Cyperus flavescens available from Central Europe indicates that this species occurs mainly in the company of Juncus bufonius and Plantago intermedia, whereas other species of the Isoëto-Nanojuncetea class appear rarely. In MaxEnt analysis based on bioclimatic variables, the most important variable is BIO1 (Annual Mean Temperature). The results of our observation indicate that anthropogenic factors such as grazing livestock have a positive effect on the occurrence of the species. It is also very likely that the species is promoted by very warm summers with only short periods of heavy rains. A map of the potential distribution of C. flavescens in Central Europe created according historical and future data show an extension of the range of potential habitats to the north and east.
Utricularia bremii Heer ex Kölliker has been found in a former sand quarry in Dąbrowa Górnicza (Silesia-Cracow Upland, S Poland). This subatlantic species is very rarely reported from Western and Southern Europe, and extremely rarely from Central Europe. Some localities were reported from Poland, mainly in the first half of the 20th century, but none of them are considered reliable and the species is not included in the flora of Poland. In the newly discovered locality the species forms a very abundant population in shallow, nutrient-poor ditches and pools. The origin of the population is uncertain, but before sand exploitation started the area was covered by extensive fens.
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