Revision of the Late Cretaceous genus Walbeckia (Normapolles plants; Fagales) from Central Europe
- Author(s)
- Zuzana Heřmanová, Anna Maria Louise von Balthazar-Schönenberger, Jiři Kvaček, Jürg Schönenberger
- Abstract
Our study shows that the genus Walbeckia Knobloch et Mai forms a rather heterogenous group that is in need of revisions. Originally, the genus contained ten species. Based on the new morphological analyses in the present study, two of these species, namely Walbeckia aquisgranensis and W. fricii, are reinterpreted and removed from the genus. W. aquisgranensis is transferred here to a newly established genus Felianthus gen. nov. The genus includes two species: Felianthus aquisgranensis (Knobloch et Mai) sp. nov. and Felianthus aacheniensis sp. nov. Flowers of Felianthus gen. nov. are structurally bisexual and epigynous. The perianth consists of two small tepals and the androecium consists of two stamens (only filament bases preserved). Pollen grains are triangular-oblate, triaperturate. The gynoecium is syncarpous, two-locular at the very base and unilocular above. The ovary surface is characterized by longitudinal ribs that run from the ovary base to the tepals. The fruits are one-seeded and the seeds are attached basally. Based on the triangular-oblate and triaperturate pollen grains of the Normapolles type, the genus Felianthus gen. nov. is here treated as part of the Normapolles complex.
In addition, specimens previously described as Walbeckia fricii Knobloch et Mai are here reinterpreted as Zlivifructus fricii (Knobloch et Mai) comb. n. based on the presence of a tetramerous perianth and tetramerous androecium, which is characteristic for the Normapolles genus Zlivifructus Heřmanová, Dašková, Ekrt et J. Kvaček.
Our study also shows that the remaining species and specimens of the genus Walbeckia Knobloch et Mai still form a rather heterogenous group in need of further revisions, which will have to await the discovery of additional and hopefully better-preserved specimens from the Late Cretaceous of Central Europe.- Organisation(s)
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research
- External organisation(s)
- Museum Nationale I Národní Muzeum
- Pages
- 8
- Publication date
- 2024
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 106042 Systematic botany, 106008 Botany, 106012 Evolutionary research
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/a4ec49e2-2087-4257-b761-bb1339b83dcd