Carex

Previous studies on the palynoflora from the Lavanttal Basin show that it contains a rich assemblage of spores and gymnosperm
pollen. Present and ongoing investigations of dispersed angiosperm pollen suggest a high diversity within this group, and due
to the excellent preservation of the material, some rare pollen types are recognised. The Magnoliales to Fabales pollen record
documented here contains 30 different taxa. Only a few pollen types are assigned to Magnoliids (four taxa); these are rare in
the pollen record. Similarly, the Commelinids comprise five taxa and are also rare. Most of the angiosperm pollen originates
from Eudicots (21 taxa). Of the angiosperm taxa documented here, Magnolia, Carex, Ranunculaceae, Platanus, Trochodendron,
Buxus, Cercidiphyllum, Daphniphyllum, Distylium, Fortunearia, Parrotia, Parthenocissus, Vitis, Euphorbia, Salix and Papilionoideae
are recorded for the first time from the Lavanttal Basin. This also includes the first fossil pollen record of Trochodendron
worldwide and the first reliable pollen record of Daphniphyllum. Several of the taxa described here had a wide Northern
Hemispheric distribution from the Eocene until the end of the Miocene. Also, key relatives of the fossil taxa are presently
confined to humid warm-temperate environments, suggesting a very mild climate during the middle Miocene (Sarmatian) of
the Lavanttal area. Some of the taxa encountered also support previous observations that the sediments of the Lavanttal Basin
accumulated in a lowland wetland environment. This is based on pollen from aquatic taxa thriving in lakes, streams and
swamps, and pollen from terrestrial plant taxa occupying margins of lakes and streams, backswamps, floodplains, river plains
and hummocks. Other angiosperm pollen clearly originates from plants thriving on drier substrates, reflecting various
vegetation units of the mixed evergreen/deciduous broad-leaved/conifer forests surrounding the wetland basin.

Thirteen new localities of Carex buekii were found during botanical research on both sides (Polish and Czech) of the upper Divoká Orlice river valley in 2010–2012. The article describes historical and present distribution of C. buekii in the Orlické Mts and its foothills. Localities on the Polish side are the first for the Polish part of the Sudetes Mts. Communities dominated by tall sedge Carex buekii on terraces of the Divoká Orlice river were also characterized and phytosociological table of Caricetum buekii is given. In Divoká Orlice valley there is alocal variant of Caricetum buekii association, distinguished by the group of
mountain taxa.