Abstract
AbstractFossil plant material was collected during the 1980s in Egypt and preliminarily described as a putative member of Araceae. Reexamination of the collections led to the discovery of new specimens and preparation of the material provided new characters confirming the araceous affinities of the fossil. The morphology of these leaves, especially the venation pattern of several vein orders, has been compared with leaves of fossil and extant monocot angiosperms, especially Araceae. The colocasioid secondary venation and the marginal venation pattern of the fossil are most similar to living Araceae, especially Aroideae. A new genus and species, Afrocasia kahlertiana gen. et sp. nov., were erected to accommodate these results. The physiognomy of Afrocasia kahlertiana supports the hypothesis of a humid and shady environment and indicates that Araceae have inhabited forest understory for at least 70 million years. Furthermore, its occurrence in Africa indicates that Araceae probably suffered stronger extinction on this continent.
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