Utricularia bremii (Lentibulariaceae) rediscovered in Slovakia

Utricularia bremii Heer, considered extinct in Slovakia for about 60 years, has been rediscovered in shallow fen pools at Hanšpilje (Plavecký Peter village, SW Slovakia) in 2006. The water of the fen pools is of moderate conductivity (272 μS cm-1) and pH 7.0. As a result of peat extraction in the past, the site is covered by depauperated vegetation with fen species characteristic of the alliance Caricion davallianae and wetland species characteristic of the class Phragmito-Magno-Caricetea. Stands with U. bremii were classified as the association Campylio stellati-Caricetum lasiocarpae (class Scheuchzerio-Caricetea fuscae). Brief information on the vegetation history of the Hanšpilje site, its ecology, and the vegetation preferences of U. bremii are presented in the European context. Based on our results, we propose to change the status of U. bremii on the Slovak red list from ‘extinct’ to ‘critically endangered’.