Cladophlebis sp.

Pott, Christian, 2014, The Upper Triassic flora of Svalbard, Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 59 (3), pp. 709-740 : 720-721

Cladophlebis sp. cf. Cladophlebis remota (Presl in Sternberg, 1838) Zeiller, 1903.

For illustration see Vasilevskaya (1972: pl. 4: 2–4).

1972 Cladophlebis aff. remota (Presl) Zeiller ; Vasilevskaya 1972: 41,

pl. 4: 2–4.

Material.— Spitsbergen: Wimanfjellet ( VSEGEI 10979-35, 10979-36); Carnian (Upper Triassic).

Description.— One specimen preserved as part and counterpart having affinities to Cladophlebis remota was described and figured by Vasilevskaya (1972). The specimen was not available for study because it was missing in the collection examined at VSEGEI in St. Petersburg. Thus, the description is necessarily based on Vasilevskaya’s (1972) description and illustration. The preserved (= figured) part is 57 mm long and 22 mm wide showing a middle portion of a pinna with seven pinnule pairs preserved that are slightly sub-oppositely arranged on a 2 mm wide rachis. Pinnules expand to a width of 6–8 mm and a length of up to 10 mm, and are apically rounded and slightly contracted basally.All pinnules are of similar shape, the pinnule apex is slightly pointed or acute towards the pinna apex in some pinnules. Venation is neuropterid; the midvein extending to only one third of the pinnule length and then bifurcating into several secondary veins. They bifurcate once more, and part of them do so again close to the pinnule margin.

Remarks.— Vasilevskaya (1972) assigned this specimen to Cladophlebis aff. remota , which, in my opinion is warranted. Cladophlebis remota has a quite variable pinnule shape and venation pattern (cf. e.g., Schenk 1864; Schenk in Schönlein 1865; Van Konijnenburg-van Cittert et al. 2006), so the specimen from Svalbard appears to fit comfortably in C. remota , which is a typical Middle–Late Triassic fern. The latter authors were apparently not aware of the new combination proposed previously by Zeiller (1903).

Geographic and stratigraphic range.— Europe, Middle East; Ladinian–Carnian.