In the first volume of ,,Vegetatio" (1949, p. 333-336) prof. KLIKA has published a survey of the geobotanical literature of Czechoslovakia over the period 1938-1948. Since that time Czechoslovakian botany has developed very rapidly and a great number of papers has been written dealing with different problems of phytosociology, synecology, syngenetics and classification of plant communities. With regard to the phytogeographical importance of Bohemia, Moravia and Slovakia and last not least to the lesser accessibility of some publications, especially of those printed in Czech, to foreign scientists, we want to review here some of the more important studies issued in the course of the last decade. However, an estimation of the ,,importance" of any paper and a selection of any list of references based upon such an estimate is a difficult and ungrateful task. The author hopes to be excused if some interesting work has been omitted.
Forest vegetation.
Approximately a third of the area is covered with forest stands. This extension and the economic significance of this type of vegetation has caused more investigations which are connected with it.
At the mentioned period KLIKA published two large papers describing the forests of Bohemian St~edohoH (195 z) and the forests of the K~ivokl~it region in Central Bohemia (1958@ The first cited work includes a comprehensive survey of the well-preserved deciduous forest on basalt and phonolit hills. The optimum community is classified as Q u e r c e t o-Carpinetum asperuletosum and several thermophile and hygrophile subassociations of the oak-hornbeam stands are described. Last field work of KLIKA has been carried out in the forests of K~ivokl~it; complete results with a map of associations have been already issued after the death of the author. The forests of Central Bohemia were further studied by a group of younger Czech scientists (MuRANSK~ 1950; MRXZ 1953 MRXZ , 1958 ; ; SAMEK 1957; etc.) Due to the predominance of the artificial stands of spruce and pine in this region, the above mentioned authors are emphasizing in their research more the habitat factors, especially the soil properties, and using, as far as possible, available historic material in the reconstruction of the primeval forests. From the methodical point of view the application of the business machines for the phytosociological synthesis is of a great interest (MR.~Z 1958).
The contributions by KLIKA (1958a) and MRXZ (i958a , 1958b ) particularly explain the synecological conditions and the systematic position of subcontinental oak forests with Potentilla alba in Bohemia. MIKYgKA (195 z, 1957) investigated two submontaneous areas of Bohemia and his careful *) Received for publication 3o.IX.i96o.