Cunninghamites lignitum (STERNBERG) J. KVAČEK

Greguš, Josef & Kvaček, Jiří, 2015, Revision Of Cenomanian Flora From The Maletín Sandstone, Acta Musei Nationalis Pragae Series B 71 (3 - 4), pp. 315-364 : 321-322

Cunninghamites lignitum (STERNBERG) J. KVAČEK

Pl. 4, Fig. 5–8

1825 Lycopodiolites lignitum STERNBERG , Flora der Vorwelt, vol. I, p. 8.

1846 Cunninghamia elegans CORDA in REUSS; Corda in Reuss, p. 93, pl. 49, fig. 29–31.

1846 Cunninghamia planifolia CORDA in REUSS; Corda in Reuss, p. 93, pl. 50, fig. 1–3.

1847 Cunninghamites elegans (CORDA in REUSS) ENDLICHER, p. 305.

1847 Cunninghamites planifolius (CORDA in REUSS) ENDLICHER, p. 305.

1869 Cunninghamites elegans (CORDA in REUSS) ENDLICHER; Heer, p. 12, pl. 1, fig. 14.

1885b Cunninghamia elegans CORDA in REUSS; Velenovský, p. 14, pl. 4, fig. 5, pl. 5, fig. 1, 7, pl. 6, fig. 5.

1885b Cunninghamia stenophylla VELENOVSKÝ , p. 15, pl. 5, fig. 2, 4, 10, 16.

1926a Kettneria elegans (CORDA in REUSS) VELENOVSKÝ et VINIKLÁŘ, p. 11, 38, pl. 1 fig. 12–15, pl. 3, fig. 6.

1997 Lycopodiolites lignitum STERNBERG ; J. Kvaček et Straková, fig. 94.

1999 Cunninghamites lignitum (STERNBERG) J. KVAČEK , p. 131, fig. 4–6.

2012 Cunninghamites lignitum (STERNBERG) J. KVAČEK ; Bosma et al., p. 22, pl. 1, fig. 3–4, pl. 2, fig. 5–6.

L e c t o t y p e: NM-F636, selected by J. Kvaček 1999.

E p i t y p e: NM-F2708a, selected by Bosma et al. 2012,

p. 22, pl. 2, fig. 6.

T y p e l o c a l i t y: Mšené Lázně.

S t r a t i g r a p h y: Peruc-Korycany Formation, Cenomanian, Upper Cretaceous.

M a t e r i a l s t u d i e d: GPIT/PL_755; MMT(M)/

G_319, 320, 484; UGV_22.

O c c u r r e n c e: Maletín, Vyšehořovice, Horoušany, Pecínov, Praha-Hloubětín, Praha-Hloubětín, Hutě, Praha-Vidoule.

D e s c r i p t i o n. Specimen no. GPIT/PL_755 (Pl. 4, Fig. 5a, b) described by Heer (1869, p. 12, pl. 1, fig. 14) as Cunninghamites elegans (CORDA in REUSS) ENDLICHER is a 225 mm long and 8 mm wide simple shoot. On the main axis of the branch, there are helically arranged leaf cushions of rhombic to obovate shape (5–6 mm long and 2–3 wide). Linear to lanceolate needle-like leaves grow out of the leaf cushions at a 45° angle. Needles have acute apex and poorly preserved base. The specimen no. GPIT/PL_755 (Pl. 4, Fig. 5b) shows the only completely preserved needle 25 mm long and 2–3 mm wide. Three poorly preserved ribs run through the entire length of the needle. Shoot no. MMT(M)/G_319 (Pl. 4, Fig. 7) is 160 mm long and up to 10 mm wide, with helically arranged leaf cushions of rhombic to obovate shape. Leaf cushions are 5–6 mm long and 2–4 mm wide. Linear needles, 25 mm long and 3 mm wide, are not well preserved, their apex not apparent. Specimen no. UGV_22 (Pl. 4, Fig. 6) is an approximately 280 mm long and 10 mm wide shoot, with helically arranged leaf cushions of rhombic to obovate shape. Leaf cushions are 5–6 mm high and 2–4 mm wide. The main shoot axis is branched, showing approximately 3 mm wide and up to 50 mm long secondary axes. Other material from Maletín is represented by fragments of shoots, which are up to 150 mm long and 12 mm wide with apparent, helically arranged leaf cushions. Leaf cushions are of rhombic to obovate shape, 5–6 (7) mm long and 3–4 mm wide. Specimen no. MMT(M)/G_320 (Pl. 4, Fig. 8) shows partially preserved fragments of needles, which are up to 2 mm wide, without apices leaving shoot at a 45° angle.

D i s c u s s i o n. Cunninghamites lignitum is morphologically similar to C. oxycedrus C. PRESL in STERNBERG from the German Cretaceous (Niederschöna). Corda (in Reuss 1845) mentioned differences between them in gross morphology, such as length and width. As Harris (1979) points out, widths of needles are a misleading character. Lengths of needles of C. lignitum were probably variable, as stated by Bosma et al. (2012). However, differences between C. lignitum and C. oxycedrus are expressed in the cuticle pattern. A common occurrence of C. lignitum in the Bohemian Cretaceous Basin, and other minor morphological differences (3 ribs per needle) leads us to identify the studied material as C. lignitum . This name also has priority in nomenclature aspects.

C. lignitum has very short needles, compared to C. ubaghsii DEBEY ex UBAGHS from the Late Cretaceous of the Netherlands (locality Kunrade) which has needles up to 120 mm long (van der Ham et al. 2004). C. squamosus HEER from the German Upper Cretaceous (locality Altenburg) has, compared to C. lignitum , needles up to 65 mm long ( Bosma et al. 2012).