Fossil Alloceltidoxylon, Allonymphaea, Arecocaryon, Paralnoxylon and Paranyssa and extant Komaroviopsis, Marcanodendron, and Papyrocactus (Magnoliophyta), new replacement generic names

Eight new generic replacement names were validated. The new fossil wood generic name Alloceltidoxylon is validated to replace later homonym, Scottoxylon Wheeler & Manchester (non Scotoxylon Vogellehner). The new fossil generic name Allonymphaea is proposed to replace later homonym, Thiebaudia M. Chandler (non Thiebautia Colla nec Thibaudia Ruiz et Pavon ex Jaume St.-Hilaire), based on leaf remains. The new fossil generic name Arecocaryon, based on fruit remains, is proposed to replace the later homonym Friedemannia M.E. Collinson, Manchester& V. Wilde (non Friedmannia Chantanachat & Bold, Algae). The new fossil wood generic name Paralnoxylon is validated to replace later homonym, Cantia Stopes (non Kantia Pia). The new fossil generic name Paranyssa, based on fossil leaves, is validated to replace later homonym, Browniea Manchester & Hickey (non Brownea Jacquin). Three new generic names for extant flowering plants were validated: Komaroviopsis replaces Komarovia Korovin (non Komaroffia O. Kuntze) and Komaroviopsideae trib. nov. replaced invalid Komarovieae, Marcanodendron instead of Uladendron Marcano-Berti (non fossil Ulodendron Lindley & Hutton) and Papyrocactus replaces Toumeya Britton & Rose (non Tuomeya W.H. Harvey, Algae). The new combinations Alloceltidoxylon eocenicum, Allonymphaea rayaniensis, Arecocaryon messelense, Paralnoxylon arborescens, Paranyssa serrata, Komaroviopsis anisosperma, Marcanodendron codesuri, and Papyrocactus papyracanthus are proposed. Alloceltidoxylon, Allonymphaea, Arecocaryon, Komaroviopsis, Marcanodendron, Paralnoxylon, Paranyssa, Papyrocactus, new replacement generic names, Komaroviopsideae trib. nov.

Fossil wood diversity record from Merangin region, Jambi, Indonesia

Merangin is a region in Jambi province, Indonesia, which well-known for its geodiversity. As part of geodiversity, fossil woods play an important role in reconstructing the ancient trees during geological history. Since the study on fossil wood origin Merangin Regency, Jambi, is still limited, this study was conducted to determine fossil wood identity through anatomical features observation and estimate the age of fossil wood samples through geological analysis. The anatomical characteristics were observed using a light microscope to identify the botanical identity of the discovered fossil wood samples. The description of anatomical features refered to the IAWA list of microscopic features for hardwood identification. The result showed that all fossil woods had similarities with the modern wood from the Dipterocarpaceae family, namely Dryobalanoxylon sp. (Kamper), Hopenium sp. (Merawan/Hopea), Shoreoxylon sp. (Meranti), and Cotylelobioxylon sp. (Giam/Resak). These fossil woods were found in different estimated geological age namely Late Permian/Perem age (254-252 million years old), Late Miocene age (7.24-5.33 million years old); Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene age (3.60-2.58 million years old); and Holocene age (11,700 years old - present). Another approach by using Global Mapper 11 resulted that all the fossil woods were estimated grown in Permian age (290 - 250 million years).

Cedroxylon shakhtnaense (Blokhina 2010) Dolezych, Mantzouka et L.Kunzmann comb. nov.; A fossil Abies wood from the late early Miocene Mastixioideae flora of Wiesa (east Germany)

We describe the first evidence of fossil Abies wood from the late early Miocene fossil plant assemblage of Wiesa in east Germany. The comparatively well-preserved piece of xylitic wood was recovered in the kaolin quarry at Hasenberg hill in Wiesa. The Wiesa assemblage is characterized as being allochthonous and partly parautochthonous mass deposits of diaspores, leaves, and wood. The latter component is rather incompletely studied so far. The described fossil is characterized by high rays, mostly uniseriate bordered pits, generally thick and pitted horizontal and tangential ray cell walls, but also partly smooth horizontal ray cell walls, absence of ray tracheids, the occurrence of traumatic resin canals, and rare occurrence of axial parenchyma of two types. This type of fossil wood has been described as Abietoxylon shakhtnaense Blokhina from the Oligo-Miocene of Sakhalin, Russia. Due to nomenclatural issues of Abietoxylon a recombination to Cedroxylon Kraus emend. Gothan is proposed following common practice for affiliation of abietoid fossil wood of Cenozoic age. Cedroxylon shakhtnaense comb. nov. shares anatomical characteristics with the wood of extant Abies Mill., in particular with sections Abies and Grandis, and is most closely related to section Grandis. The properly preserved fossil wood from Wiesa provides the opportunity of applying qualitative and quantitative analyses for testing and discussing its placement in relationship to intra-tree variability and ontogenetic aspects. The first evidence of fossil wood of Abies from Wiesa confirms again the presence of the genus in mid-latitude subtropical zonal vegetation during the beginning of the Miocene Climatic Optimum.

Fossil wood of Syzygium from the Miocene of Guangxi, South China: the earliest fossil evidence of the genus in eastern Asia

A new species, Syzygium guipingensis sp. nov. (Myrtaceae), is described based on mummified fossil wood from the Miocene Erzitang Formation of Guiping Basin, Guangxi, South China. This species represents the most ancient reliable fossil record of the genus Syzygium in eastern Asia, showing the greatest similarity to the extant species S. buxifolium Hook. et Arnott. Its occurrence in the Miocene is consistent with the diversification age of the Asian lineage within Syzygium as estimated by molecular dating (11.4 Ma). The fossil record of Syzygium suggests that this genus migrated from Australia to eastern Asia in the Miocene, coincidently with the formation of island chains between these continents.

Fossil wood from the Upper Cretaceous crater sediments of the Salpeterkop volcano, North West Province, South Africa

The Salpeterkop volcano forms part of what has been referred to as the Upper Cretaceous Sutherland Suite of alkaline rocks, an igneous province composed of olivine melilitites, carbonatites, trachytes and ultramafic lamprophyres. Salpeterkop is a remnant of the summit tuff ring structure that surrounds a crater which is almost 1 km in diameter and is filled with epiclastic strata. Five pieces of silicified wood were collected from the crater filled sediments, sectioned and identified as a new species of Cupressinoxylon, C. widdringtonioides. This is the first example of the fossil genus in South Africa. Only one member of the Cupressaceae s.l. occurs in southern Africa today. From the wide and indistinct growth rings in the fossil wood it can be deduced that the local climate was warm and humid with little or no seasonality, in support of global records of a warm Late Cretaceous. The preservation of the crater further signifies the low level of erosion the region has experienced since its emplacement.

Fossil woods from the Eocene of Corcovado, Argentinean Patagonia: geological setting and conifer diversity

Eocene paleofloras of Patagonia are diverse and increasingly known. A new assemblage of fossil wood has been recovered from Eocene sediments in Corcovado, western Argentinean Patagonia. The lithological succession (formerly Arroyo Lyn Formation sensu Pesce 1979) is correlated with the Huitrera Formation. The specimens were mostly found embedded in sandstones and conglomerates. One-third of the assemblage are conifers and studied herein. We found four taxonomic types: Agathoxylon cf. antarcticum (Araucariaceae), Phyllocladoxylon antarcticum (Podocarpaceae), Podocarpoxylon dusenii (Podocarpaceae), and Cupressinoxylon hallei (Cupressaceae or Podocarpaceae). The presence of four taxonomic units among only 7 specimens suggests a significant conifer species richness in the assemblage. Araucariaceae and dominant Podocarpaceae are usually found in previously described conifer wood assemblages from the Eocene of Patagonia andAntarctica. The diversity of the conifer assemblage in Corcovado is very similar to that found at Laguna del Hunco (these two localities are 170 km distant), also from the Huitrera Formation. This is consistent with the proposal that the bearing sediments of both localities are from the same stratigraphic unit.

Supplemental Material: Sedimentology, geochronology, and provenance of the late Cenozoic “Yangtze Gravel”: Implications for Lower Yangtze River reorganization and tectonic evolution in southeast China

Additional data include counting data of clasts, heavy minerals and fossil pollens, U-Pb data of detrital zircons, and representative pictures of fossil wood and detrital zircons.

Supplemental Material: Sedimentology, geochronology, and provenance of the late Cenozoic “Yangtze Gravel”: Implications for Lower Yangtze River reorganization and tectonic evolution in southeast China

Additional data include counting data of clasts, heavy minerals and fossil pollens, U-Pb data of detrital zircons, and representative pictures of fossil wood and detrital zircons.