Eckhartia intermedia E.M.FRIIS, P.R.CRANE et K.R.PEDERSEN, 2019

Friis, Else Marie, Crane, Peter R. & Pedersen, Kaj Raunsgaard, 2019, The Early Cretaceous Mesofossil Flora Of Torres Vedras (Ne Of Forte Da Forca), Portugal: A Palaeofloristic Analysis Of An Early Angiosperm Community, Fossil Imprint 75 (2), pp. 153-257 : 213

Eckhartia intermedia E.M.FRIIS, P.R.CRANE et K.R.PEDERSEN sp. nov.

Text-fig. 39a–e

H o l o t y p e. Designated here. S148209 (Torres Vedras sample 43; figured Text-fig. 39a–e ).

P l a n t F o s s i l N a m e s R e g i s t r y N u m b e r.

PFN000474 (for new species).

R e p o s i t o r y. Palaeobotanical Collections , Department of Palaeobiology, the Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden .

E t y m o l o g y. From Latin: intermedium referring to the intermediate nature of the tectum between the two other species of Eckhartia : similar to Eckhartia longicolumella in the fine reticulum and similar to E. brevicolumella in the short columellae.

T y p e l o c a l i t y. Torres Vedras (NE of Forte de

Forca; 39°06′13″ N, 9°14′47″ W).

T y p e s t r a t u m a n d a g e. Lower member of the Almargem Formation; Early Cretaceous (late Barremianearly Aptian).

D i a g n o s i s. As for the genus with the following additions: Reticulum fine. Columellae short and densely arranged.

D i s t i n g u i s h i n g f e a t u r e s. Anthers are not known for this species. Pollen grains are similar to Eckhartia longicolumella in their fine reticulum, and similar to E. brevicolumella in their short, densely spaced columellae.

D i m e n s i o n s. Length of pollen grains: about 16 µm.

D e s c r i p t i o n a n d r e m a r k s. Eckhartia intermedia is based on the pollen grains observed in a pollen clump that contains only a single kind of pollen, and is probably a fragment of a stamen ( Text-fig. 39a ).

Pollen grains are about 16 µm in equatorial diameter, monocolpate, semitectate-reticulate, heterobrochate and columellate ( Text-fig. 39b–e ). The reticulum over most of the grains is relatively fine compared to the reticulum of Eckhartia brevicolumella . Smaller lumina are scattered among the larger lumina, with the larger lumina up to about 0.9 µm in diameter ( Text-fig. 39e ). The colpus margin is not well exposed in any of the grains, but it is clear that lumina are smaller and the tectum is psilate at the ends of the colpus ( Text-fig. 39d ). Muri are about 0.2 µm wide with rounded profile. Columellae are short, about 0.2 µm long, and densely spaced ( Text-fig. 39e ). Tooth-shaped and rounded orbicules have been observed on the surfaces between the pollen grains, but they are rare, perhaps because the pollen are found in a pollen clump without remains of the anther wall.

A f f i n i t y a n d o t h e r o c c u r r e n c e s. Eckhartia intermedia is known only from the Torres Vedras mesofossil flora.

Figures

Text-fig. 39. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of monocolpate pollen of Eckhartia intermedia sp. nov. from a pollen clump, probably fragment of a stamen (a–e) and anthers and pollen of Eckhartia sp. (f–k); Torres Vedras locality, Portugal. a) Pollen clump that yielded the pollen in (b–e); b–d) Pollen grains viewed from distal (d) and proximal surfaces (b, c) showing the long colpus and well-developed reticulum with large and small luminae; e) Reticulum showing smooth muri supported by short columellae firmly attached to the smooth surface of the foot layer; note the occasional small luminae; f, g) Fragments of narrow elongate anthers with same kind of pollen as in (i); h) Inner surface of anther wall showing small spherical orbicules;