Endogenites BRONGNIART

Cleal, Christopher J. & Thomas, Barry A., 2018, Nomenclatural Status Of The Palaeobotanical “ Artificial Taxa ” Established In Brongniart’S 1822 “ Classification ” Paper, Fossil Imprint 74 (1 - 2), pp. 9-28 : 12

Endogenites BRONGNIART

Text-fig. 1a

1822a Endogenites BRONGNIART , p. 209.

Ty p e. Endogenites echinatus BRONGNIART, 1822b, p. 43 , pl. 5, fig. 2; Loc.: Eocene lignite, Vailly, near Soissons, France.(Designated by Andrews 1955: 82).

D i a g n o s i s. “Bois composé de faisceaux de vaisseaux isolés plus nombreux à la circonférence qu’au centre.”

D i s c u s s i o n. Brongniart (1822a) created this genus for stems with endogenous growth such as found in palms. According to Farr et al. (1979: 614) no type was designated, but two species were briefly described and so may be regarded as syntypes. Endogenite (sic!) bacillaire Brongniart (1822a: 211) was based on specimens from two different localities, none of which were figured, and whose current whereabouts are unknown (they are not listed on the MNHN on-line database). We therefore accept the proposal of Andrews (1955) that the other species Endogenites echinatus should be taken as the type. Jongmans (1960: 1173) claimed that the name E. echinatus had been used earlier by Brongniart (in Cuvier 1811) but this was in error; Brongniart would have been only 10 years old at the time. It was in a later Cuvier publication that Brongniart (1822d: 356) had used the name and, as pointed out earlier, this postdates Brongniart (1822a).

Brongniart (1828a: 120) later transferred the type to Palmacites BRONGNIART, 1822a , on the assumption that it represented remains of a palm stem. It was later interpreted as a cycad stem and illegitimately renamed Zamites brongniartii C.PRESL in Sternberg (1838). Until the type has been located and its affinities established, it will be difficult to diagnose a fossil-genus to which this name could be applied, except perhaps for a generalised group of stem fossils with numerous protruding leaf bases, as is shown in the type. However, there has been no suggestion in recent years that such a genus would be useful.