Sand marigold was the wildflower of the year

(Photo: AI)

Behind the sand marigold (Stipa borysthenica) was the blue marigold (Echinops ruthenicus), while the little-known musk onion (Allium moschatum) came in third place. Most people are familiar with Hungarian marigolds, especially the feathery marigold. Only professionals know that there are a total of 6 species of marigold belonging to this group in Hungary. The size of the fruit and the pattern of the hairs on it help to distinguish them – they wrote in the announcement.

The sand moor grass as a characteristic species of our Great Plain sand wastelands

It occurs primarily in the Danube-Tisza region, where it is a defining feature of the landscape in many places, but its smaller, isolated occurrences are (were) known in other areas as well, including the Kisalföld and the sand wastelands around Nagykanizsa. Many of its smaller populations have been destroyed recently as a result of various investments and human interventions. Similarly, its populations have disappeared on the Sand Ridge, but in this region there are also examples of it appearing in large numbers in previously disturbed areas, abandoned arable fields, and highway slopes. The increasingly drastic drying of the area has brought many plant species close to extinction, but the sand moor grass may also be the winner of this process. It needs this, as its global population is limited to a very small area: in addition to our country, it occurs in the sandy areas along the Dnieper in Ukraine, and in smaller patches in the sandy areas of southeastern Russia, and in isolated places in some other sandy areas of Europe – they pointed out in the announcement, emphasizing that the protection and survival of the species can best be ensured by preserving its habitats and suitable growing sites.

MTI