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PETRIFIED CONES AND NEEDLE‐BEARING TWIGS OF A NEW TAXODIACEOUS CONIFER FROM THE EARLY CRETACEOUS OF CALIFORNIA
Author(s) -
Miller Charles N.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
american journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.218
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1537-2197
pISSN - 0002-9122
DOI - 10.1002/j.1537-2197.1975.tb14103.x
Subject(s) - bract , cunninghamia , biology , apex (geometry) , cretaceous , botany , paleontology , inflorescence
Ovulate cones identified as Abietites ellipticus Fontaine, from the Early Cretaceous of northern California, have been reinvestigated. Rather than being preserved as imprints as originally described, the fossils are petrified. Two cones are attached to needle‐bearing twigs. The organs are similar to those of the living Cunninghamia lanceolata. However, the scale portion of the bract‐scale complex of the fossil cones is situated close to the bract apex, while that in modern Cunninghamia cones is midway between the bract base and apex. This plus other structural differences warrant treatment of the material as a new species of Cunninghamiostrobus Stopes and Fujii.