Doliostrobus taxiformis (STERNBERG) KVAČEK var. sternbergii MAI et WALTHER ex KVAČEK

Kvaček, Zlatko & Teodoridis, Vasilis, 2011, The Late Eocene Flora Of Kučlín Near Bílina In North Bohemia Revisited, Acta Musei Nationalis Pragae Series B 67 (3 - 4), pp. 83-144 : 89

Doliostrobus taxiformis (STERNBERG) KVAČEK var. sternbergii MAI et WALTHER ex KVAČEK

Pl.1, figs 14-16, 19

1868 Sequoia sternbergii HEER ; Ettingshausen, p. 40, pl. 13, figs 3- 8.

1868 Embothrites cuneatus ETTINGSHAUSEN , p. 15, pl. 35, fig. 13.

1881 Carpolithes carpini cuiusdam ?. Sieber, p. 92, pl. 3, fig. 18.

1926 Araucarites gurnardii FLORIN in E.M. REID et CHANDLER, p. 48, pl. 2, figs 6-16.

1968b Doliostrobus gurnardii (FLORIN in E.M. REID et CHANDLER) BŮŽEK, HOLÝ et KVAČEK, p. 154.

1968b Doliostrobus certus BŮŽEK, HOLÝ et KVAČEK , pp. 160-168, pl. 32, figs 1-11, pl. 33, figs 1-17, pl. 34, figs 1-7, pl. 35, figs 1, 2, 5-7, text-tables 1-7.

1985 Doliostrobus taxiformis (STERNBERG) KVAČEK var. sternbergii MAI et WALTHER , p. 25, pl. 3, figs 14-16, pl. 6, figs 1-11 (non pl. 5, figs 18-20).

1990 Doliostrobus certus BŮŽEK, HOLÝ et KVAČEK ; Bůžek, Fejfar, Konzalová, Kvaček. 172, figs 3.1-2.

2001 Sequoia sternbergii HEER ; Hably et al., p. 61, pl.79, fig. 3, pl. 80, figs1-2, 5.

2002c Doliostrobus taxiformis (STERNBERG) KVAČEK var sternbergii (MARION) MAI et WALTHER ; Kvaček, p. 221, pl. 1, fig. 6b, pl. 2, fig. 7 (Mrtvý vrch).

2007 Doliostrobus taxiformis (STERNBERG) KVAČEK ; Kvaček and Teodoridis , p. 384, fig. 2.N.

2008 Doliostrobus taxiformis (STERNBERG) KVAČEK ; Kvaček, p. 4, pl. 2, fig. 10.

Large foliage branches of helically disposed partly appressed needle leaves well decurrent on the axis. Free parts of the needles never exceed half of the needle length (contrary to var. taxiformis from Häring). Epidermal anatomy not preserved. Detached cone scales characteristically longitudinally striated, with a long apical mucro. Detached seed laterally one-winged, seed body rounded ovoid, wing obovate slightly oblique, longer than the seed body. For more detiale morphology of the material from Kučlín see previsous monographic treatment by Bůžek et al. 1998, Kunzmann 1999 and Kvaček 2002c).

D i s c u s s i o n: This extinct conifer, which shares some features with araucarians (pollen morphology, a single seed per scale) and cupressoids (abietoid pitting), is a common element of the Eocene of Kučlín and occurs also in the Eocene of Germany ( Mai and Walther 1985, Europe (see Kunzmann 1999, Kvaček 2002c). According to its characteristic leaf morphology (shorter dimorphic foliage helically arranged) it was long known as Sequoia sternbergii but sometimes mistaken for true taxodioid Cupressaceae ( Heer 1868) . Cone scales and twigs of Doliostrobus occur besides Kučlín also at other late Eocene localities in North Bohemia, e.g., Mrtvý vrch, the cores at Hlinná and Lbín,. Kostomlaty / Roudný, and in the Skalice quartzite ( Kvaček 2002c). Doliostrobus is rarely represented in the Staré Sedlo Fm. in the Cheb Basin. This conifer is typical of the Zeitz flora ( Mai and Walther 1985).

A recent xylotomical study in the German Late Eocene locality Groitzscher Dreick in the Weisselster Basin (Dolezych in Lange et al. 2005) recovered whole trunks more than 8 m long with unusual surface and characteristic pitting confirming the assumption that D. taxiformis is a large tree. Konzalová reports tentatively on the araucarioid pollen which may belong to Doliostrobus from the Kučlín cores V 2 and V 3 (Mazancová in Horáčková et al. 1967), and at Lbín and Hlinná ( Konzalová 1981).

A silicified trunk, which was described from Kučlín as Podocarpoxylon helmstaedtianum by Březinová et al. (1994), does not belong to Doliostroboxylon , although it was at first believed to represent a trunk of Doliostrobus . It was reinterpreted to belong to Tetraclinoxylon ( Sakala 2003, Dolezych and Sakala 2007), another conifer present in the Kučlín flora (see below).

M a t e r i a l s t u d i e d: BP 55.2348.1, 55.2443.1, 55.2455.1, 55.497.1., NM G 2342a,b, G 2433-36, G 2439a,b, G 4832, G 5572-74.

Angiosperms

Nymphaeaceae s. l.

Various fossils belonging to Water Lilies are well represented in the Kučlín flora ( Ettingshausen 1869, Bůžek et al.1990, Kvaček 2002a), as impressions of leaves, attachment traces of petioles and seeds. Ettingshausen (1869) recognized in this category of Nymphaeeaceae fossils several taxa on mere superficial traits. Most are not really identifiable because necessary diagnostic characters are not visible on the impression material. Nevertheless, the presented documentation shows a quite large diversity of this group of aquatic plants and may help to characterize environment of the Kučlín lake, because these remains belong to autochthonous plants.