Abstract

Anisopteris shuteana Hayes et H.L.Pearson sp. nov., a rare fertile adpression fossil, is described from the Mississippian of Teilia Quarry, Gwaenysgor, North Wales, UK. The new species is based on material from the Margaret Benson Collection and named in honour of Cedric H. Shute who curated the Palaeobotany Collections at the Natural History Museum, London. The account arises from an unpublished typescript by Benson, who considered the specimen to be a fern fructification. A. shuteana is of particular importance because only two fertile fronds of Anisopteris have previously been described. Detailed comparisons are drawn between these two species, Anisopteris fertilis (J.Walton) Hirmer, 1940 and Anisopteris lindseaeformis (Bunbury) Hirmer, 1940 and A. shuteana, which is assigned to the Lyginopteridales.

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Abstract

The study of a few putative palm macrofossils from the type area of the Maastrichtian Stage appeared to have important implications for understanding the composition of the fossil flora of the area, as well as for the nomenclature of fossil palm fruits in general. The type specimen of the palm fruit Palmocarpon cretaceum Miq., 1853 described from the Cretaceous of the Maastrichtian type area belongs to Nypa burtinii (Brongn.) Ettingsh., 1879 from the Eocene, most probably from the Brussels area. The material mentioned by Ubaghs (1885a, b, 1887) as Palmocarpon cretaceum does not represent fossil palm fruits. Therefore, palm pollen is the only evidence for the presence of palms (Arecaceae, or Palmae, excl. Nypa) in the Cretaceous of the Maastrichtian type area. Palmocarpon Miq., 1853 is proposed here as a nomen rejiciendum, and the genus Palmocarpon Lesq., 1878 as a nomen conservandum.

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