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We report on and discuss records of five species new to the vascular flora of Croatia. Calamagrostis canescens was found near Đurđevac in remnants of fen vegetation, and we consider it a critically endangered species in the flora of Croatia. Agrimonia procera is native or archaeophyte in central Croatia and its discovery is in accordance with its earlier use as a medicinal plant. Amaranthus emarginatus is an exotic newcomer that was previously found in urban habitats on the north Adriatic coast. Carex vulpinoidea and Oenothera suaveolens were shown to be locally established species, in meadows along the Kupa River, and on the bars of the Drava River, respectively. In addition, we present new distributional and ecological data on two neophytes (Cardamine occulta, Humulus scandens) that were only briefly mentioned in earlier sources from Croatia.

Restoration of sedge/grass meadow habitat was implemented on former agricultural lands adjacent to a Lake Ontario drowned-river-mouth tributary at an elevation that historically supports this community type. Four hectares of land were disked in spring and seeded with diverse wetland mixes containing sedges, grasses, and forbs, with additional Calamagrostis canadensis (bluejoint) and Carex stricta (upright sedge) seeds added. Seedling plugs of C. canadensis and C. stricta were also planted. Mowing at a height of 45 cm to control tall, invasive annual weeds prior to seed-set was conducted as an adaptive management practice. Three years after implementation, C. canadensis and C. stricta were not found, but seeded Carex vulpinoidea (fox sedge) was dominant, and seeded Carex lupulina (hop sedge) and Carex lurida (shallow sedge) were also present. Most invasive annuals were rare, but canopies created by larger perennials may pose future problems. Although a greenhouse seed-bank emergence study was conducted, field sampling suggested that plants growing on adjacent lands were a better predictor of future plant communities, with select seeded species serving as a secondary predictor. Failure of some sedges to survive after seeding likely was not related to stratification or diurnal temperature range. However, inadequate soil moisture related to soil type and a second-year drought likely played a role, as might loss of viability of seeds during storage. Future efforts on similar lands might use fresh Carex seeds broadcast in autumn for over-winter stratification, and specially developed seed mixes could focus on species that established at the site and native species found nearby, while avoiding some potential problem species.

The restoration of plant communities in littoral zones often fails. Because littoral habitats around the world often are subject to changing water regimes and potentially changing future climates, a better understanding of species competitive interactions under such conditions is needed for restoration plant selection. To represent shoreline plant communities, we grew eight freshwater species used in shoreline restoration projects in Minnesota and Wisconsin, USA, in outdoor basins and manipulated water levels to determine the effect on above ground biomass. Biomass production of some species in the competing environment was related to the proximity to water or inundation depth and frequency. Bolboschoenus fluviatilis had biomass differences related to inundation under dry, fluctuating, and normal water manipulations and Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani had biomass differences related to inundation under wet and fluctuating water manipulations, while Carex comosa and Carex lacustris had biomass differences related to placement location under only the wettest water manipulation and Sparganium eurycarpum had biomass differences related to placement location under only the driest water manipulation. Spartina pectinata , Carex vulpinoidea , and Juncus effusus appeared to not have biomass differences related to placement location under any of the water manipulations used. Sparganium eurycarpum and Bolboschoenus fluviatilis dominated the total biomass in all water manipulations. Carex vulpinoidea and Carex lacustris had the least total biomass production in all but one water manipulation. These findings allow for better design of plant community composition and better vegetative erosion control under a variety of water conditions.

Two new phenolics, a stilbenoid, vulpinoideol A (1), and a chalcone, vulpinoideol B (2), along with ten known compounds (3–12) were isolated from Carex vulpinoidea Michx. seeds. The structures of compounds 1–12 were elucidated based on spectrometric and spectroscopic analyses including HRESIMS, 1D and 2D NMR data. All compounds were evaluated for their tyrosinase enzyme inhibitory activities.

An observed increase in the size of the inflorescences of two sedges inhabiting a radioactive waste disposal area is correlated with the complex interaction between various edaphic factors that contribute to plant growth and an "effect" of ionizing radiation. The perennial sedges, Carex frankii and Carex vulpinoidea, tolerate a continuous dose rate generally in excess of 2 R/day at ground level. Although radiation has been associated with excessive plant growth, it is not entirely independent of other factors, such as the combined contribution of potassium and organic matter, soil pH, calcium, as well as other unmeasured edaphic conditions. See full-text article at JSTOR

Lengths of pistillate inflorescences of sedges (Carex spp.) growing in the contaminated soils of White Oak Lake bed were measured in relation to radiation fields. Carex Frankii Kunth and Carex vulpinoidea Michx. populations were sampled from areas with air dose rates of 0, 10, 20, and 40 mr/hr. Analyses of variance showed that mean lengths of inflorescences of C. vulpinoidea were simllar to each other in these areas but that those of C. Frankii were significantly different. However, the sites differ in such factors as soil moisture, fertility, and alkalinity, so that these differences in the length of inflorescence may not be accounted for primarily by the exposure dose rate of the radiation field. (auth)