Antholithes SCHLOTHEIM ex BRONGNIART

Cleal, Christopher J. & Thomas, Barry A., 2018, Nomenclatural Status Of The Palaeobotanical “ Artificial Taxa ” Established In Brongniart’S 1822 “ Classification ” Paper, Fossil Imprint 74 (1 - 2), pp. 9-28 : 22

Antholithes SCHLOTHEIM ex BRONGNIART

Text-fig. 2h

1822a Antholithes, BRONGNIART , p. 210.

Ty p e. Antholithes liliacea BRONGNIART, 1822a, p. 239 , pl. 3, fig. 7; Loc.: Eocene Monte Bolca Lagerstätte in Veneto, Italy.

D i a g n o s i s. “Fleurs.”

D i s c u s s i o n. The species name Antholithes liliacea was not mentioned in the body of the text of Brongniart (1822a), its first mention being in Brongniart (1822b: 62). However, it was given in the caption for plate 3 in Brongniart (1822a). Although this was not accompanied by a specific diagnosis, as it is the only species in the fossil-genus Antholithes , following ICN, Art. 38.5 the generic diagnosis in Brongniart (1822a) may be taken also to validate the species name.

The type ( Brongniart 1822a) appears to be a small budlike structure, which Brongniart believed to be the perianth of a liliaceae-like flower. However, this is difficult to verify from the illustration and the location of the specimen is now unknown. In view of the generalised (albeit valid) diagnosis and the absence of a type, although it is validly published, it is difficult to see how the name Antholithes can be used in any meaningful way.