ArticlePDF Available

Comopellis presbya gen. et sp. nov. (Rhamnaceae) in Mid-Tertiary amber from the Dominican Republic

Authors:

Abstract

Comopellis presbya is described as a new genus and species of Rhamnaceae, based on a fossil flower preserved in amber from Mid-Tertiary deposits in the Dominican Republic. The fossil consists of a single pentamerous, bisexual flower at anthesis, characterized by narrowly lanceolate-elliptic petals with involute margins that partially cover the short, appressed stamen, together with a bowl-shaped hypanthium enclosing the sessile, superior pistil. The thin disc lining the hypanthium has 5 conspicuous appendages, 1 opposite the base of each sepal, which may have functioned as nectaries. The style is short, not surpassing the hypanthium, and bears a discoid, non-lobed stigma. With respect to its disc appendages, the genus is most similar to Gouania and Distigouania of the tribe Gouanieae (Medan & Schirarend 2004).
COMOPELLIS PRESBYA 

Kenton L. Chambers
Department of Botany & Plant Pathology
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon U.S.A. 97331
chamberk@science.oregonstate.edu
George O. Poinar, Jr.
Department of Integra0ve Biology
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon U.S.A. 97331

Comopellis presbya  !!"#$"%!"&'()!*"!!+ !'"!(',-'#
&."!* ('*/!0&'1"1)'*"!"&% ,)(','"1'(!"$,
&"1!*'%+ 2%!,-'#!1!"1)+)!!13 0"!'#,0,!"',!1,,&/&1!,#1)
".',%1*!$"1)!1&!/!,,0'.1))'1+!&&1!*"+1'$1)#1)! '#,)!&
)0&!"1)%*",'"$1),+%&'&/,)1)",""$1))0&!"1)%*)!!'"&%'%
!&&"!$'&&'11) !'(!)&!,+#))*!0)!.(%"/'"!!"1!0)10,)'1+
"'1%&!"$1))0&!"1)%*+!" !!'+"'",' /$*!)$"%*!04"1,'1
,!/.!*'"$1)** '(1 )!*"!'**'""1)"1!,*!"$'"


5"'#,$'(1)-'!'(1'&!,('1&"1"1)! !"$'""1)/!0)!
*&'.1)'%$)1)"1&/'"'((',-'#&."!* ('*1)'*"!"
&% ,"1!"&,!"1'(1)('1##,,1!1 0'"!!"'"!6777+ !'"(',
8"'#"!11)/*"1)"+'*9:"#&,!"1&+",%"$!"%* '(&.'%,0%"8"'#"
$"!+)!. "&% ,))",%:&'(! !!'"!6776+,)1!,6779+
'"!;)!* 9<6=!+9'('!!'"!;>%3#36<<=+'"!;',%* %9<69+:'(
!!'"!9<<9!+9<<9 +6'()0' !,!"!!'"!1!,9<<?!+. 0)!* ;
'"!9<6<+9'(!%!!)!* 1!,9<66!+9<69+:'(,!!)!* 1!,9<66 +
6
)!* ;'"!9769+6'(%!!)!* ;'"!9<6:+6'(0/!!'"!;
1.9<6:+6'()!*"!!)!* ;'"!9<6@!+6'('"!!)!* ;'"!
9<6@ +6'('**,"!!'"!;)!* 9<6= +6&' ,0'('!!'"!1!,9<<? +
!"6'(!"%"8"'#"*'"''10,'"'%(!*,0'"!;)!* 9<<6=)&.'%,0&% ,)
(','()!*"!!('*1)-'!1)"#$"%Dis0gouania+#))"'1! ," "$1)41
 ** '(1)(!*,0#1)$%,!'',,!!"!"'%*

Comopellis#!',,1('*!"!* *""1)"'1)"*'%"1!"!"$',,!
&1"1'"!,'(1)'*"!"&% ,+ 1#"%1',!1'!"!"/!$'* ('**""1)
$'"#!&'% 01),$%*"'%1Hymenaea protera'"!6776)!$'(1)!* 
'"1'.!,+#1)!1'(6=9<!!":<@=)!."$ "&'&'1%!,""1;!)
677A+B&8"),677<'1)/*!1!.('**'(',"1)*!"1!1!
'"1!""$1)!* +1)41!%1)'."$1)('*('!*"(!!"1),!C!%1)'%/,3"$
'',1))!* '"!,0&'1"1% /!"1'"'(1)&&'"1''#
'"!*0'%&!&1!,67A@'"$1',)1!,6779+DE1)!* ,!1+('*
!,,&)0!,)!!1/+#!,!0*!1%!* !11)/*'(&'/'""1'*!" !"
)('1)!$'(1)!* $!11)!"'"!"F%1,8,0!!,0!,!1'"G)
'.0'(!,0!,'"!* "%1''!"!!1)/!"!,'"!* ">!*!!
1%!,""19<<6!1'1)8"'#"!"$'(%)&'1"1)!1"/,,
 .!/'"!"&)'1'$!&)#*!#1)!8'"6<1''&*''&!"
8'"&/&)'1'*&'%"*''&#1)*!$"4!/'"%&1'A<<H,'"'%'H=@#!%
1'1!8&)'1'(' C,!10!"&1)'(4,

Comopellis5)!* ;'"!+$""'.Figs. 1-3IComopellis presbya 5
)!* ;'"!&"'.
,'# 2%!,+!,02$%,!+&!,=+.!,.!1+&!"$+/&"'11)8"+*,""'1$$6+
'',,!$%,!+&1!,=+2 0&!,+*!$"".',%1+&!/!,,0",'"$1!*"+1!*"
!&&+!<=/*!,'"$!&1!,$9+!"1)F%!,"$4,!*"1+ ,'%,!+"1',0
)"1+&/,%&'+ !!,")0&!"1)%*+'.!0$,' '+!&,"%* "1*"!1+/$*!
'!,0'+"'1,' +",%")0&!"1)%*+)0&!"1)%*)*&)!,+",0)&! !2!,,0
$@+$,! '%+1)"+"'1-)0+,""$)0&!"1)%*+1)*!$"('*"$!*!1 !'(&!"1)+
#1)= ,' !&&"!$'&&'1&!,$:+&,&% %,"1+JKF%!,"$)0&!"1)%*$@+
9
Etymology—'*8D8'*+G)!+!"D&,,+G%&' '#,+ !'"(',L)%1)*&)
)0&!"1)%*
Comopellis presbya5)!* ;'"!+&"'.I+'*"!"&% ,I!* 
*""1)"'1)"*'%"1!"!"$',,!&1"1'"!,+ 1#"%1',!1'!"!"/!$'+
9<69+unknown amber miner s.n. I!1!,'$"%* 767@+&'1"1)'"!!* 
',,/'"*!"1!"!1$'"1!1".10+'.!,,+$'"7M::6+
N1)"!&!,.#@A**+&!, '!,0,1''.!1+6=6M**,'"$+<76@**#+$,! '%+
!&2!%1+*!$""/$6+&1!,"!'#,0,,&/,!"',!1+<76A**,'"$+<9<@**
#+$,! '%',$)1,0-''!&!,,0+1!*"<?6<**,'"$+4,!*"1!<M**,'"$+!"1)
<9<:**,'"$$9+'.!06A**"!*1+10,,"$1)"1*"!1+/$*!<M**#$
6+)0&!"1)%*6M**#+<?**)$)$6+@+!&&"!$'(!<?**,'"$$:+
&' ,0"1!('%+&,6@**,'"$
Etymology—'*8G& 0!+G',+,


)!*"!!!!(!*,0'(!=<$"!!"=<<&!";)!"9<<@)1 !,
,!4!/'"#!. 0)!'"1!,9<<<!'"1) !'(*'&)','$!,1!1+!"!
&)0,'$"/!"!,0#!&"1)!'"1!,9<<< .('*&,!/F%"
,."1 !'$"3 01)!%1)'801'1 !"$"!$.""!";)!"
9<<@+1'$1)#1)! .!11 !,!$"'$1!/.!"(%1)!!1/+! "1"1)
(',+!*&'1!"1"1)1 !,,!4!/'"O)"+#)!."'111'!$"Comopellis1'!
&!/%,!%&!$"!1$'0/"/.(!1%1)!1*$)1),&"1 !,&,!*"1'(1)(',!
1),!8'(!8,* '"1)&!,+,!"',!1&1!,,!1!,,0"(',"$1)!&&1!*"+
1))*&)!,)0&!"1)%*+1) ,' !&&"!$'(1))0&!"1)!,+!"1)'+%",' 
/$*!!'"!'*&!'"#1)&% ,),,%1!/'"!"&/'"%"$%1)67=:+'$
67?6+!";)!"9<<@+#1)!('%'"21!"1)!*"!!'(1)! !"!"1)#
N',"$"!,+#)!."'1 "! ,1'4"!$"'1 !,&,!*"1('1)(',+#)))
 !!$"%"#1'"
5N

:
+5;+>9<6<)'*"!"!* (',Lasiambix! !!I
!!,&"'!P!Licania)0' !,!"!!>'1"12!@I96M96?
+5;+>9<69/!0(',-'#'(Swietenia,!!"
'*"!"!* >'1"12!AI69:69M
+5;+>9<6:(',-'#'(1)$"%Pro0um%!!"
/!0!* ('*1)'*"!"&% ,>'1"12!MI:AM:M:
+5;+>9<6@!Dis0gouania irregularis )!*"!!$"1&"'."
/!0!* ('*1)'*"!"&% ,>'1"12!?I====A6
+5;+>9<6@Ticodendron palaios&"'.'"!!+!
/!0(',-'#"'*"!"!* >'1"12!?I=A:=A?
+5++>+;N9<66!(',-'#'(Persea!%!!"
/!0'*"!"!* >'1"12!=I@=M@A9
+5++>+;N9<66 #'(',-'#'(Trichilia,!!"
'*"!"!* >'1"12!=I@A:@A?
+5++>+;9<69Treptostemon !%!!+!"#$"%'(
(',-'#('*/!0'*"!"!* >'1"12!AI==6==A
+++;6779',Acacia-'##1)!C!)!"1)$,!"
('*'*"!"!* "I""!",)+.!"",$%*01*!/
!1@)(',''0!,'1!"!"+5#+5
+++;>N677@&!"',!"I'"'.!"!">!8'"+! !"
$','$0I""1'%/'")".10'(1)N1"% ,)L'!/'"5"$1'"+>!*!!
&6976=<
+9<<6','$0'(1)!*  !"$&'1'(1)!1"/,,
! !">:MI6@66AM
+;67AA$!"&!,'$!&)'$"'('*"!"!* 
"9M:I6?=<6?=9
+67A6)!*"!!"I,'!'(&!"',!!16)01','$!*'+,!"4,+#
>0+&::@7
+;9<<@)!*"!!"I55% 138+)(!*,!"$"!'(.!%,!
&,!"1,'#"$&,!"1Q'10,'"&"$,!$+,"+*!"0&:9<::?
@
++>6776Hymenaea protera &"$%*"'!I!!,&"'!('*'*"!"
!* )!(!"!R"/2&"/!@MI6<M=6<?9
++>9<<9!',&!,*-'#"'*"!"!"2!"!* '1>""'6:?I=M
A6
++>9<<9 ',&!,*-'#"'*"!"!"!,/!* '1>""'6:7I:A6
:AM
+>;6777)!* ('1"1'"".10+"1'"+#
>0+
++>;>>SNS9<<=Pharus primuncinatus '!!I)!'!I)!!('*
'*"!"!* !96I9<7=96<:
+>+5+;N9<<?!Lasiambix dominicensis$"1&"'.+!
%'1-'#"'*"!"!* )'#"$!R"/#1)! !!% (!*,0!!,&"'!>
'1"12!9I@A:@M6
++>+5+;N9<<? Trochanthera lepidota$"1&"'.+!(',
!"$'&*"-'""'*"!"!* >'1"12!9I66AM66M:
++>;>9<69Alarista succina$"1&"'.'!!I!* %'!"
'*"!"!* 1'',6A
++>;9<6:Virola dominicana&"'.0/!!('*'*"!"
!* '1!"076I=:<=:@
++>;59<6=Prioria dominicana&"'.! !!I!!,&"'!+!
(',-'#"/!0'*"!"!* >'1"12!
++>;59<6=Dasylarynx anomalus $"1&"'.+!1% %,!
*'"''10,'",8-'#"/!0'*"!"!* >'1"12!
++>;59<6=Haplocricota dictyophora $"1&"'.'**,"!!"
/!0'*"!"!* >'1"12!
+>++T5+;N9<<<!.'"'(1)1 !,
,!4!/'"'()!*"!!5#%,,==I:66:@<
+>++T5+N+;N9<<< &)0,'$"/
!"!,0'()!*"!!%"$rbcL !"trn-F &,!/F%"*>'1?MI6:<76:9@
+6777!"1"5! "C1%C$!11!1%8+9?
=
+567=:)!*"!!"I!*+!1U,)"-!"3"(!*,"9<
"$'&*!I))!*"!,%"8;%* ,'1+,"+*!"0&M6M:
$%,$"I
$6Comopellis presbya&!,.#'(-'#AI&1!,BI&!,C.1!*"D.'.!0E./$*!F. 
!&&"!$!, !V6<**
$9Comopellis presbya.1!,",'"$1!*"!, !V<9**
$:Comopellis presbya. !&&"!$!, !V<6**
$@Comopellis presbya. !1!,.#'(-'#A. )0&!"1)%*B. &,!, !V<?**
A
M
... Jud et al. (2017) reported Notiantha grandensis from the Paleocene in Argentina; Millan and Crepet (2014) recorded Solanites pusillus from the Eocene in Tennessee, U.S.A.; and Nahinda axamilpensis from the Oligocene was reported in Puebla, México (Calvillo-Canadell and Cevallos-Ferriz, 2007). There are also reports of Distigouania irregularis (Chambers and Poinar, 2014) and Comopellis presbya (Chambers and Poinar, 2015) in amber from the Dominican Republic dated to the Oligocene-Miocene. ...
... Millan and Crepet (2014) also reported S. pusillus from the Eocene in Tennessee, U.S.A., which differs from our fossil because it has dorsifixed-versatile anthers, and the ovary is superior, instead of basifixed anthers and the ovary inferior. Finally, there are reports of flowers in amber in the Dominican Republic from the Oligocene-Miocene, these are the species D. irregularis (Chambers and Poinar, 2014) and C. presbya (Chambers and Poinar, 2015), which are markedly different from G. miocenica. D. irregularis presents unisexual staminate flowers, a shallow floral cup, ovate glabrous sepals, obovate petals, and a floral disc with 10 lobes, instead of bisexual flowers, a bell-shaped floral cup, triangular (cucullate) pubescent sepals, cucullate unguiculate petals, and a floral disc present. ...
Article
Six flowers preserved in Early Miocene amber from Simojovel, Chiapas were identified as members of the family Rhamnaceae. The flowers were designated as Gouania miocenica sp. nov. based on the following characteristics: small size, pentamerous, triangular sepals and cucullate petals, unguiculate at the base and rounded at the apex, enfolding the stamens, stamens alternating with the sepals (obhaplostemonous), anthers basifixed, and ovary inferior. The flowers described in this work represent a new record for the family Rhamnaceae during the Early Miocene, expanding the fossil record of the South of Mexico, and North America in general.
... Recently, Poinar (2022), in a bibliographical revision, indicated that around 16 families of angiosperms had been reported in the Mexican amber. Some of these lineages are also documented in amber deposits in the Dominican Republic, such as Arecaceae (Poinar, 2002), Celastraceae (Chambers and Poinar, 2016;Hernández-Damián et al., 2018), Fabaceae (Poinar and Brown, 2002;Calvillo-Canadell et al., 2010), Urticaceae and Rhamnaceae (Chambers and Poinar, 2015;Hernández-Hernández and Castañeda-Posadas, 2018). These reports support comparing these fossiliferous localities (Poinar, 2022). ...
Article
Full-text available
Cannabaceae (Urticalean Rosids clade) is a small family with ten genera and a wide distribution in tropical and temperate regions worldwide. A complete understanding of the history of the lineage is fundamental to the integration of its fossil record, which needs to be better documented in low latitudes of North America. This work recognizes a new species, Aphananthe manchesteri Hernández-Damián, Rubalcava-Knoth et Cevallos- Ferriz sp. nov. (Cannabaceae), from the Miocene amber deposits of Simojovel de Allende, Chiapas, Mexico, based on a flower analyzed with reflected light and CT-scanning. Flowers of Cannabaceae are generally staminate or pistillate and small; staminate flowers have five sepals and opposite five stamens, and a pubescent pistillode, such as the fossil. However, the presence of three unguiculate and two ovate sepals with a puberulent surface are characteristics that allow its recognition as Aphananthe , the fossil is morphologically similar to Aphananthe monoica , an extant species that grows along the Pacific coast of Mexico. The presence of Aphananthe manchesteri sp. nov. in southern Mexico during the middle-early Miocene, ~23–15 Ma ago, supports the history of the lineage in lowlatitude North America, representing an expansion of the Boreotropical Flora. It adds to the taxonomical diversity of angiosperms preserved in Mexican amber, comparable with amber deposits from the Dominican Republic, where another anemophilous extinct species member of the Urticalean Rosids clade has been reported. This coincidence further supports the development of similar plant communities between these fossiliferous localities.
... Comparison of Notiantha with the flowers of Nahinda axamilpensis Calvillo-Canadell et Cevallos-Ferriz, from the Oligocene of Mexico, reveals that the petals are much shorter in N. axamilpensis [31]. Chambers and Poinar described two rhamnaceous flowers from Dominican Amber [104,105], Distigouania irregularis Chambers et Poinar and Comopellis presbya Chambers et Poinar. They compared D. irregularis with the extant Gouania Jacq. ...
Article
Full-text available
Southern-Hemisphere terrestrial communities from the early Paleocene are poorly known, but recent work on Danian plant fossils from the Salamanca Formation in Chubut Province, Argentina are providing critical data on earliest Paleocene floras. The fossils described here come from a site in the Salamanca Formation dating to ca. 1 million years or less after the end-Cretaceous extinction event; they are the first fossil flowers reported from the Danian of South America, and possible the entire Southern Hemisphere. They are compressions and impressions in flat-laminated light gray shale, and they belong to the family Rhamnaceae (buckthorns). Flowers of Notiantha grandensis gen. et sp. nov. are pentamerous, with distinctly keeled calyx lobes projecting from the hypanthium, clawed and cucullate emarginate petals, antepetalous stamens, and a pentagonal floral disk that fills the hypanthium. Their phylogenetic position was evaluated using a molecular scaffold approach combined with morphological data. Results indicate that the flowers are most like those of extant ziziphoid Rhamnaceae. The associated leaves, assigned to Suessenia grandensis gen. et sp. nov. are simple and ovate, with serrate margins and three acrodromous basal veins. They conform to the distinctive leaves of some extant Rhamnaceae in the ziziphoid and ampelozizyphoid clades. These fossils provide the first unequivocal megafossil evidence of Rhamnaceae in the Southern Hemisphere, demonstrating that Rhamnaceae expanded beyond the tropics by the earliest Paleocene. Given previous reports of rhamnaceous pollen in the late Paleogene and Neogene of Antarctica and southern Australia, this new occurrence increases the possibility of high-latitude dispersal of this family between South America and Australia via Antarctica during the Cenozoic.
... The tropical forest that contributed fossils to the amber was described by Poinar & Poinar (1999), who mentioned a number of invertebrates, especially insects, as well as some plant fossils which were then available. More recently, a series of papers, itemized by Chambers & Poinar (2015), have added the following 12 families to the flora: Fabaceae, Arecaceae, Burseraceae, Chrysobalanaceae, Commelinaceae, Lauraceae, Meliaceae, possibly Moraceae, Myristicaceae, Poaceae, Rhamnaceae, and Ticodendraceae. Among these are 10 previously undescribed genera. ...
Article
Full-text available
Phyrtandrus pentalepidus gen. et sp. Nov. was collected from Mid-Tertiary amber deposits in the Dominican Republic. Morphologically it displays a peculiar mixture of traits from both monocotyledons and dicotyledons, but its monosulcate pollen would remove it from membership in the eudicots. Beginning at the base, the 5 floral whorls consist of (1) 5 small subtending bracts, (2) 5 ± equal tepals opposite the bracts, (3) 5 fertile stamens alternating with the tepals, (4) 3 staminodes, 2 well-developed and 1 much reduced, each opposite a tepal, and (5) 2 fertile stamens and 1 rudimentary staminode, the 2 stamens each opposite a tepal and the staminode positioned above a stamen of the outer whorl. No pistil is present. The mixture of 5-parted and 3-parted floral whorls, combined with the monocot-like pollen, makes it difficult to assign the fossil to any modern angiosperm family.
... Since then, newly discovered insects and some 23 previously unknown plant taxa have been described, including a number of new genera. Chambers and Poinar (2015) list the plant families of these species and the publications in which they appear. Further fossils continue to be found in the amber, including the one described here as Lobocyclas anomala. ...
Article
Full-text available
A fossil flower in amber from the Dominican Republic is described as Lobocyclas anomala gen. & sp. nov., a member of Celastraceae subfamily Hippocrateoideae. Based on the depressed, deeply 3-lobed ovary, the fossil is best placed in this subfamily rather than subfamily Salacioideae with its spherical or ovoid pistils. The fossil's most conspicuous feature is a spreading, skirt-like disc whose outer margin is regularly divided into 10 lobes, 1 opposite each perianth part. The 3 stamens, like those of Hippocratea, are short, borne near the pistil at the summit of the thickened, cushion-shaped inner disc and are recurved after anthesis. The 3-lobed ovary rests in a depression on the disc apex, its short, thick style terminating in a capitate stigma.
Article
Fossil leaves, fruits, and woods assigned to Rhamnaceae have been recorded from India; however, there are no previous reports of rhamnaceous fossil flowers from India. Here, we report the first fossil flowers in appreciable numbers from the early Eocene (Palana Formation) sedimentary sequences of Gurha Lignite Mine, Rajasthan, western India, and show that they are attributable to Rhamnaceae. We examined variation in flower morphology among extant and extinct rhamnaceous species as a basis for interpreting our fossil flowers. The specimens are small star-like, pentamerous, actinomorphic, gamosepalous flowers with triangular, keeled sepals with acute apices; spathulate, short-clawed petals alternating with sepals; shallow, five-lobed nectary disc with prominent pentagonal outer margin; and a centrally placed globose ovary with stigma scar. The flowers co-occur with ziziphoid leaves and are recognized as a new species Eopaliura indica Patel, Rana, and Khan sp. nov. Because of aforesaid characteristics, fossil flowers are easily identifiable as Rhamnaceae and should provide a reliable means of documenting the evolutionary history of this family during the Cenozoic.
Chapter
Based on direct and indirect evidence, 38 angiosperm flowers in over 20 plant families enhanced the tropical moist Dominican amber forest with their beauty, grace and mysterious qualities. While 20 flowers in Dominican amber can be placed in current families and genera, 5 belong to unknown families, showing that extinctions have occurred at the species, genus and family levels over the past 20–30 million years. None of the Dominican amber flowers represent present day species. Here we have direct evidence of pollinators, such as stingless bees entrapped in the stamens of mimosoids, as well as herbivores that have nibbled on petals. Stingless bees carrying pollinia also show some of the orchid diversity that was in the forest at that time.
Article
Full-text available
Aside from a variety of arthropod remains, Dominican amber also contains an assortment of leaves, flowers, and seeds. An orchid seed with a developing embryo in Dominican amber is described as Mycophoris elongatus gen. et sp. nov. Cells of the developing embryo were infected with a fungus that is described as Synaptomitus orchiphilus gen. et sp. nov. The fungus represents a Basidiomycota that was probably serving as an orchid mycorrhiza (OM), based on its morphology and the formation of pelotons inside infected embryo cells. The single piece of amber containing the fossil was obtained from a mine in the Dominican Republic and is at least 15–20 Ma.
Article
Full-text available
Pseudhaplocricus hexandrus gen. et sp. nov. (Commelinaceae) is described from Mid-Tertiary amber from the Dominican Republic. The trimerous, staminate flower is characterized by a short pedicel, 2 perianth whorls with 3 glabrous, free sepals and 3 glabrous, free, deliquescent petals. The 6 fertile, glabrous stamens are of equal length; their apparent arrangement in a single whorl is due to fusion, during floral development, of the 2 whorls of 3 which are characteristic of Commelinaceae. The filaments are broadened and united basally. The anthers are bilocular, dorsifixed and dehisce longitudinally. The fossil establishes a mid-Tertiary lineage of Commelinaceae in Mesoamerica.
Article
Full-text available
Mid-Tertiary amber from the Caribbean island of Hispaniola has yielded flowers of several eudicot species characteristic of tropical and subtropical forests of that time period. We here describe as new species two recently discovered Dominican amber flowers, which we assign to Trichilia, the largest genus of Meliaceae in the neotropics (Pennington et al. 1981). Both flowers possess features that frequently occur in the genus, such as a dish- or cup-shaped calyx, spreading or recurved petals, and completely fused filaments forming a cylindrical or cyathiform tube that bears acute or apiculate lobes alternating with the anthers on the rim. One flower is complete, with pistil and anthers present, while on the second, the pistil and all but one anther have been damaged or removed by insect predation. The one remaining anther is malformed and non-functional; the filament tube appears to be Tilled with debris left by the putative insect herbivore. The two fossils differ in their calyx shape and pubescence, corolla pubescence, and filament lube shape, and are described as the new species Trichilia glaesaria and Trichilia antiqua.
Article
Full-text available
Alarista succina gen. et sp. nov. (Poaceae) is described from a single floret preserved in amber of Tertiary age originating from the Dominican Republic. The new genus is characterised by (1) a narrow-winged lemma awn, (2) numerous (as many as 17) lemma nerves, (3) a lengthy rachilla internode (implying a lax spikelet), (4) sinuous-margined long cells, (5) silica cells arranged transversely, (6) stomatal subsidiaries low domed and (7) papillae. The epidermal features are characteristic of the abaxial leaf blade surface of members of the Bambusoideae and the fossil is placed in this group.htp://zoobank.org/033FCBF4-CD61-4C85-97E4-8418C9ABA5E6