Indeed we were amazed to see this site which was known to us from childhood after many years and to see this time its real structure. The site is near the border of the Transylvanian Depression and quite isolated from the typical Transylvanian forest-steppe area therefore it is impoverished in species - Clematis integrifolia, Centaurea triumfettii ssp. axillaris are missing from here but instead there are huge populations of Laserpitium latifolium and Centaurea stenolepis ssp. bansagensis. This is related with Centaurea phrygia and Centaurea jacea from the other sites which are probably native to them but are favored by anthropisation and finally act like ruderals. Centaurea stenolepis is nothing less that the opposite of these and quite a rare species.
From among the rare species of the meadow-steppe grasslands only Verbascum nigrum was encountered here until now in two small groups of individuals.However this is the second site of meadow-steppe grassland from Transylvania to contains the so rare today tall phytocenoses of the association Molinietum coeruleae on large surfaces.
The gypsum substratum of the upper Miocene Pietroasa Formation (also named after the village nearby) provide a peculiar aspect - the Hornbeam Carpinus betulus and Durmast Oak Quercus petraea which is dominant in the landscape around could not occupy this patch ever due to the toxic unproper geological context for them. the single trees from here are those of Oak Quercus robur which remain very small, dwarfed by the toxic soil providing the nice landscape of a woodland to the place.
This file contains the place of the habitat.
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