- 161 views
- 294 downloads
Permineralized Fruits and Seeds from the Princeton Chert (Middle Eocene) of British Columbia: Araceae.
-
- Author(s) / Creator(s)
-
Some of the most conspicuous fruit and seed remains from the Middle Eocene Princeton chert locality (Allenby Formation) are assignable to the Araceae. Several thousand campylotropous, reniform, spiny seeds 2.5-3.2 mm long x 1.8-2.3 mm wide have been found dispersed in the chert. Two fruits, each with a single locule and at least eight ovules, show three distinct wall layers and appear to have been fleshy. The two layers of seed integument have pitted isodiametric sclereids aligned in radial rows, the outermost being thinner walled. Spines are borne in three rows on the dorsal seed surface while the ventral side is flattened. Idioblasts that probably contained raphides are present in the outer integument. Nucellar tissue is attached to the integument for most of its length and is well-preserved in some seeds near the chalaza and in the large conical shaped area beneath the micropyle. Endosperm cells with dark contents and curved, linear, monocotyledonous embryos are present in some seeds. Sections of seeds of living araceous taxa of the subfamilies Monsteroideae (Epipremnum, Rhodospatha) and Lasioideae (Urospatha, Cyrtosperma) were made for comparison. The fossil seeds represent a new taxon most closely related to Cyrtosperma, Keratosperma allenbyensis Cevallos-Ferriz et Stockey gen. et sp. nov., Family: Araceae, Subfamily: Lasioideae, Tribe: Lasieae. The Princeton remains are the oldest described seeds of this tribe known to date and add to our knowledge of the subtropical elements of the Princeton flora.
-
- Date created
- 1988
-
- Subjects / Keywords
-
- Type of Item
- Article (Published)
-
- License
- This version of this article is open access and can be downloaded and shared. The original author(s) and source must be cited.