Revision of a late Oligocene florule from the south-western edge of the Lower Rhine Basin (western Germany)

The late Oligocene flora from the Nirmer Tunnel at the south-western edge of the Lower Rhine Basin was first described by Menzel (1913). A revision of Menzel’s original material indicates that most taxa are from the vegetation of riparian forests (Magnolia burseracea, Ocotea rhenana, Rhodoleia bifollicularis, Eotrigonobalanus furcinervis, Trigonobalanopsis rhamnoides, Sparganium sp. vel Typha sp.) and mesophytic forests (Carpolithes dactyliformis, Sapotacites minor). Some specimens cannot be identified, so they are named Dicotylophyllum div. spp. here. The fossil species Carpolithes dactyliformis (sandstone imprints and endocasts) belongs to Cornaceae subfamily Mastixioideae and is lectotypified here. The floral assemblage is compared with some similar floras from the Oligocene of Central Europe.

Plant communities on the islands of two Altiplanic salt lakes in the Andean region of Bolivia

This paper reports a quantitative survey of the composition, diversity and structure of the plant communities on six islands of Uyuni and Coipasa salt lakes (Bolivia). Plant communities on each island were examined via the use of 10 transects, along which species richness and abundance were recorded. Seventy-one species were found in total, representing pteridophytes (6%), gymnosperms (1%), monocotyledons (14%) and dicotyledons (79%). About 21% of the species were endemic or faced some degree of threat. The calculation of Shannon-Wiener α-diversity indices and comparisons of community structure revealed similarities between the islands. Indeed these analyses suggest the existence of a single floral assemblage; however, small differences in the plant communities were visually identified during fieldwork. These islands are home to a considerable subset of the Altiplano’s flora and appear to have been little disturbed. They should therefore be the subject of surveillance/conservation programs.

Palynofacies patterns of the Highveld coal deposits (Karoo Basin, South Africa): Clues to reconstruction of palaeoenvironment and palaeoclimate

The early Permian represents a crucial period of climate change in Gondwana. This climate signature is captured in the palynological record that represents the floral assemblage of the region. Palynofacies analysis of the No. 2 Coal Seam of the Highveld Coalfield provides a high-resolution picture of this climatic shift, as well as detailing the vegetation patterns and local environments. Core samples taken from two localities were studied with respect to the characteristics of the plant debris and the palynomorph assemblages to differentiate between regional and local signatures. At both of the sampling localities, the No. 2 Coal Seam is split into a Lower Coal Seam and an Upper Coal Seam by a siltstone and a sandstone intraseam parting, respectively. The uneven palaeotopography and distal depositional environment of the Highveld Coalfield distinguish it from the northern Witbank Coalfield as a river-dominated delta plain, with differences in the palaeoenvironment at each locality. Results from the Lower Coal Seam indicate a fern-dominated lowland and conifer-dominated upland. This gives way to a Glossopteris-dominated lowland and a diverse gymnospermous assemblage in the upland of the Upper Coal Seam. This change in floral composition is also observed in the adjacent Witbank Coalfield and is likely caused by climate amelioration related to the movement of Gondwana away from the South Pole.

Late Cretaceous Kholokhovchan floral assemblage of the Okhotsk-Chukotka volcanogenic belt (North-Eastern Asia)

Results of comprehensive study of the Kholokhovchan floral assemblage collection is summarized. These plant fossils were collected in 1978 by E. L. Lebedev from volcanogenic deposits in Penzhina and Oklan rivers interfluve, North-Eastern Russia. This assemblage was previously known as a list of Lebedev’s preliminary identifi cations only. He had suggested that the Kholokhovchan assemblage is correlative to the latest Albian — early Turonian Grebenka flora from the Anadyr River middle reaches. However, our study demonstrates that the Kholokhovchan assemblage is most similar to the presumably the Turonian-Coniacian Arman flora of the Okhotsk-Chukotka volcanogenic belt and, therefore, should be dated as the Turonian-Coniacian or Turonian.

NOVÉ FYTOPALEONTOLOGICKÉ NÁLEZY V PERMU BOSKOVICKÉ PÁNVE U VEVERSKÉ BÍTÝŠKY

During the geological mapping in the Boskovice Basin, two new palaeobotanical localities in Veverské Knínice and a locality in Veverská Bítýška have been found. The most abundant flora comes from the Veverské Knínice localities. Conifers dominate in the floral assemblage. Pteridosperms are also relatively common, whereas ferns and sphenopsids are rare. These localities are assignable to the Padochov Formation, Říčany Horizon of the Permian (Rotliegend, Asselian) age. The subsequent Veverská Bítýška Formation belongs still to the Asselian. This formation contains Chudčice Horizon that yields very poor conifer flora at the Veverská Bítýška locality. Permian system is a period of progressing aridity in Moravia. Only fossiliferous horizons represent spans with higher humidity that enabled plants to live. However, the climate was not so humid, but it was rather seasonal, because pure hygrophyte plants lack in the assemblage, on the other hand, “xerophyte” plants, like conifers, dominate here.