Cryptocarya sp.

Beurel, Simon, Bachelier, Julien B., Munzinger, Jerome, Shao, Fuchen, Hammel, Joerg U., Shi, Gongle & Sadowski, Eva-Maria, 2024, First flower inclusion and fossil evidence of Cryptocarya (Laurales, Lauraceae) from Miocene amber of Zhangpu (China), Fossil Record 27 (1), pp. 1-11 : 1

publication ID

https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/fr.27.109621

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:145575FB-0BE7-4916-88D0-2CA73D69B62C

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/8F996F7A-7EDD-5A14-A2D6-645DD6C86AB0

treatment provided by

by Pensoft

scientific name

Cryptocarya sp.
status

 

Cryptocarya sp.

Figs 1 View Figure 1 , 2 View Figure 2

Specimen studied.

PB21525. Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in China (NIGPAS).

Locality.

Zhangpu County, Fujian Province, China.

Horizon and age.

Middle part of the Fotan Group, Langhian (ca. 14.7-14.8 Ma), Middle Miocene.

Description.

The flower is 3.11 mm long and 1.66 mm wide (without the pedicel, not preserved) (Fig. 1A, B View Figure 1 ). It is perfect, polysymmetric, and comprises six tepals, nine stamens, and three staminodes, which are arranged in six trimerous and alternate whorls around the gynoecium (Fig. 1C-G View Figure 1 ). It is also perigynous with a hypanthium (1.71 mm long and 0.60 mm wide) that encloses the superior ovary and lowest third of the style entirely (Fig. 1D View Figure 1 ). The position of perianth organs forming a narrow opening and of the apical flaps still covering the pollen sacs suggest a late pre-anthetic stage or early (female) anthetic phase.

The tepal lobes (1.72-2.04 mm long and 0.66-1.05 mm wide) are free and arranged in an outer and inner whorl, and share a similar narrowly ovate to elliptic shape and an acute tip (Fig. 1A, B View Figure 1 ).

All stamens are shorter than the tepals in length and have basifixed anthers with unilocular thecae opening by two slightly lobed to flattened apically attached or hinged flaps (Figs 1C-E View Figure 1 , 2A, C View Figure 2 ). Stamens of the first and second whorls have introrse, ovate and incurved anthers (ca. 0.57-0.68 mm long and 0.40-0.50 mm wide). Their filaments are adnate to a tepal lobe (Fig. 1F View Figure 1 ) and distinctly shorter than their anthers (ca. 0.25-0.48 mm long and 0.08-0.11 mm wide). Three pairs of large glands are inserted on the hypanthium rim, between the united bases of the tepals and filaments (Fig. 1D View Figure 1 ). These glands are formed by a subglobose distal part (ca. 0.34-0.56 mm long and 0.29-0.38 mm wide) and a long stalk (ca. 0.31-0.40 mm long and 0.09-0.12 mm wide; Figs 1D, F View Figure 1 , 2B View Figure 2 ). Stamens of the third whorl have latero-extrorse, erect and narrow anthers (ca. 0.68-0.75 mm long and 0.37-0.39 mm wide). The filaments are just about as long as their anthers (ca. 0.64-0.74 mm long and 0.09-0.14 mm wide) and their bases form, together with those of the staminodes, a short staminal tube projecting beyond the rim of the hypanthium (ca. 0.13 mm long and 0.45 mm wide; Figs 1D, G View Figure 1 , 2C View Figure 2 ). The staminodes have a sagittate (triangular-ovate and acuminate) sterile anther and a short and stout filament (ca. 0.60-0.65 mm long and 0.38-0.40 mm wide and 0.31-0.41 mm long and 0.15 mm wide respectively; Figs 1D, F-G View Figure 1 , 2C View Figure 2 ).

The gynoecium consists of a single carpel (ca. 2.03 mm long). The slender superior ovary (1.22 mm long and 0.18 mm wide) is entirely enclosed in the hypanthium. The style (ca. 0.81 mm long and 0.14 mm wide) ends in an inconspicuous stigma (Fig. 1D View Figure 1 ). The ovary has a single locule and an apical pendulous ovule (ca. 0.71 mm long and 0.16 mm wide).

The flower is densely pubescent with appressed simple acute trichomes covering all organs, except for the inner surface of the distal part of the hypanthium, the fertile and sterile anthers and the gynoecium (Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ).