Rare, Endangered or Vulnerable Plants and Neophytes in a Drainage System in Croatia

Hulina, N.: Rare, endangered or vulnerable plants and neophytes in a drainage system in Croatia, Nat. Croat., Vol. 7, No. 4., 279–289, 1998, Zagreb In an extensive network of field and lateral drain channels, in the area of Turopolje and ^rnec Polje, seven locally and generally rare, endangered or vulnerable plants were noted. These are: Riccia fluitans L., Marsilea quadrifolia L., Utricularia vulgaris L., Sagittaria sagittifolia L., Eleocharis acicularis L., Leersia oryzoides (L.) Swartz. and Wolffia arrhiza (L.) Hork. ex Wimm. On the banks of the channels a number of neophytes have established themselves, such as Solidago gigantea Aiton, Helianthus tuberosus L., Amorpha fruticosa L., Echinocystis lobata (Michx) Torr. et Gray and Panicum dichotomiflorum Michx. Traditional methods of channel maintenance, the irregular and mechanical removal of plant biomass from channels, are an important factor behind plant diversity and richness in the drainage systems.