Agaristoxylon garennicum Gerrienne et al., gen. et sp. nov., an arborescent Ericaceae from the Belgian Upper Paleocene: palaeoenvironmental implications

Abstract

This paper describes a silicified trunk fragment, Agaristoxylon garennicum Gerrienne et al., gen. et sp. nov., collected from a new locality at Péruwelz (Belgium) in the marine Thanetian (Upper Paleocene), and discusses the fossilisation conditions of the specimen. The anatomical structure of Agaristoxylon is similar to that of the modern ericaceous genus Agarista ( Agauria), encountered in the tropical and subtropical North and South America, and in the tropical regions of Africa, Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands. Together with other palaeontological data, the presence of Agaristoxylon supports the hypothesis that a climate of subtropical type with high atmospheric humidity could have prevailed in Belgium, at least locally, during the Late Paleocene. The occurrence of indistinct growth rings suggests the existence of seasonal drier periods.