Lambertiflora E.M.FRIIS, P.R.CRANE et K.R.PEDERSEN, 2020

Friis, Else Marie, Crane, Peter R. & Pedersen, Kaj Raunsgaard, 2020, Multiparted, Apocarpous Flowers From The Early Cretaceous Of Eastern North America And Portugal, Fossil Imprint 76 (2), pp. 279-296 : 283

Genus Lambertiflora E.M.FRIIS, P.R.CRANE et K.R.PEDERSEN gen. nov.

T y p e. Designated here. Lambertiflora elegans

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

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.

PFN000904 (for new genus).

E t y m o l o g y. In honour of Rachel Lambert Mellon (1910 – 2014) for her strong engagement and support of plants and environment in Virginia where the fossil was collected.

D i a g n o s i s. Flower structurally bisexual, with multiparted perianth, androecium and gynoecium. Floral receptacle conical, elongate. Perianth of about 30 tepals spirally arranged in several series. Tepals all sepaloid and free from each other, narrowly elongate with rhomboidal bases. Androecium of several free stamens, apparently spirally arranged in at least two series. Gynoecium apocarpous, of many free carpels borne on the conical receptacle; ovary superior. Large, secretory cells in all floral tissues.

C o m m e n t s o n t h e g e n u s. The flower of Lambertiflora is preserved in a pre-anthetic stage with androecium and gynoecium not fully differentiated. Lambertiflora is distinguished from all other multiparted flowers described from the Cretaceous by its long, narrow tepals. It is similar to Mugideiriflora in its conical receptacle that is elongated in the gynoecial zone, and its spirally arranged perianth parts, but Lambertiflora differs in having tepals of only one kind, whereas Mugideiriflora has differentiated tepals. Lambertiflora is distinguished from Atlantocarpus by its much shorter receptacle and its greater number of tepals. Lambertiflora differs from the two other multiparted flowers described previously from the Puddledock mesofossil flora, Melloniflora virginiensis E.M.FRIIS, P.R.CRANE et K.R.PEDERSEN and Virginianthus calycanthoides E.M.FRIIS, H. EKLUND, K.R.PEDERSEN et P.R.CRANE , by its conical floral receptacle that is elongated in the gynoecial zone. In Melloniflora virginiensis the floral receptacle is flat while in Virginianthus calycanthoides it forms a distinct cup. For further comparison and references, see Discussion.