Appofructus nudus E.M.FRIIS, K.R.PEDERSEN et P.R.CRANE, 2019

Friis, Else Marie, Crane, Peter R. & Pedersen, Kaj Raunsgaard, 2019, The Early Cretaceous Mesofossil Flora Of Torres Vedras (Ne Of Forte Da Forca), Portugal: A Palaeofloristic Analysis Of An Early Angiosperm Community, Fossil Imprint 75 (2), pp. 153-257 : 193-194

Appofructus nudus E.M.FRIIS, K.R.PEDERSEN et P.R.CRANE sp. nov.

Text-fig. 26a, b, e–g

H o l o t y p e. Designated here. S148143 (Torres Vedras sample 44; figured Text-fig. 26a ).

P l a n t F o s s i l N a m e s R e g i s t r y N u m b e r.

PFN000460 (for new species).

P a r a t y p e s. Designated here. S136687, S136693; S148007–S148009, S148141 (Torres Vedras sample 44).

R e p o s i t o r y. Palaeobotanical Collections , Department of Palaeobiology, the Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden .

E t y m o l o g y. From Latin: nudus for naked referring to the smooth surface of the fruit without trichomes.

T y p e l o c a l i t y. Torres Vedras (NE of Forte de

Forca; 39°06′13″ N, 9°14′47″ W).

T y p e s t r a t u m a n d a g e. Lower member of the Almargem Formation; Early Cretaceous (late Barremianearly Aptian).

D i a g n o s i s. As for the genus.

D i m e n s i o n s. Length of fruits: 0.85–0.95 mm; width of fruits: 0.48 mm. Diameter of pollen grains: about 12– 14 µm.

D e s c r i p t i o n a n d r e m a r k s. Appofructus nudus is based on seven isolated fruits. Whether the fruits are fruiting units from an apocarpous fruit, or are derived from a monocarpellate gynoecium, is unknown. The fruits are compressed in various orientations (lateral in Text-fig. 26a , dorsiventrally in Text-fig. 26b ) and typically have a very crumpled surface. The fruits are unilocular, one-seeded with an oblique stalk at the base of the ventral margin ( Text-fig. 26a, b ). The stigma is sessile and rounded ( Text-fig. 26e ). The fruit wall is thin with a smooth, crumpled outer surface that lacks trichomes. Pollen grains attached to the stigma are oblate, circular to elliptical in equatorial outline, and monocolpate. The exine is tectate with a weakly rugulate surface and microechinate surface sculpturing ( Text-fig. 26e–f ) resembling that of pollen of Goczania (see below).

A f f i n i t y a n d o t h e r o c c u r r e n c e s. Fruits of Appofructus nudus are currently known only from Torres Vedras where they co-occur with Appomattoxia minuta in one sample (Torres Vedras sample 44). The pollen grains associated with Appofructus are of the Goczania - type (see below), and are very similar to the grains associated with Appomattoxia . Appofructus and Appomattoxia are probably closely related and their systematic affinity is probably with the Piperales (see above).

Figures

Text-fig. 26. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of fruits of Appofructus gen. nov. and associated pollen grains; Torres Vedras locality, Portugal. a, b) Appofructus nudus gen. et sp. nov., lateral views of fruits (holotype figured in a) showing the ribbed surface, the poorly defined apical stigmatic area and short stalk; c, d) Appofructus sp. lateral view of fruit showing the absence of hooked hairs, the apical stigmatic area, the short stalk and pollen grain from the fruit surface (d); e–g) Appofructus nudus gen. et sp. nov., individual monocolpate pollen grains (f, g) from the group of pollen grains on the stigmatic surface (e). Specimens, TV44-S148143 (holotype; a); TV44-S148007 (b), TV38-S174610 (c, d), TV44-S148141 (e, f), TV44-S136687 (g). Scale bars 300 Μm (a–c), 60 Μm (e), 6 Μm (d, f, g).