Sprecher
Beschreibung
The Normapolles complex is one of the most distinctive and enigmatic elements of the Late Cretaceous. To date, thirteen genera of mesofossil flowers and fruits associated with this taxonomic complex have been identified. However, our understanding of the organization and architectural arrangement of these reproductive structures within inflorescences remains limited.
Here, we report a new Normapolles taxon based on well-preserved fossil flowers, fruits, and inflorescences from the Klikov Formation. They are linked by the abundant occurrence of the same type of pollen adhering to their surfaces. The fossils were investigated with SEM and X-ray tomography and are described as a new extinct taxon.
The flowers are arranged in compound dichasia, each unit composed of one central bisexual flower terminating the primary inflorescence axis, two lateral bisexual flowers terminating the secondary inflorescence axes and four peripheral pistillate flowers, two on each secondary axis in lateral position. All flowers are sessile, disymmetric, dimerous, and epigynous with two whorls of two tepals each. Bisexual flowers have four stamens with long, narrow filaments. The gynoecium is bicarpellate and syncarpous with a partially inferior and unilocular ovary. The fruit is a one-seed nut.
Multiple, well-preserved specimens provide detailed morphological information on the inflorescences, flowers, fruits, and seeds across different developmental stages. The combination of characters shows potential affinities with representatives of several fagalean lineages, particularly Betulaceae and Juglandaceae. This finding further expands our understanding of the diversity of the Normapolles complex during the Late Cretaceous.