Eocene dicotyledonous wood, Bischofia maomingensis sp. nov. from Maoming Basin, South China

Abstract

Petrified dicotyledonous wood is reported for the first time from the Eocene Youganwo Formation of the Maoming Basin, South China. The combination of anatomical features including solitary and radial multiples of vessels, simple perforation plates, medium to large alternate intervessel pits, septate and non-septate fibers, rare axial parenchyma, heterocellular rays, and crystals in chambered ray cells and axial parenchyma cells occurs in extant Anacardiaceae, Burseraceae, Elaeocarpaceae, Salicaceae, Phyllanthaceae and the fossil wood genus Paraphyllanthoxylon. Closest resemblance to extant Bischofia javanica is justified and a new fossil wood species Bischofia maomingensis sp. nov. is proposed after comparing with these taxa. This is the earliest occurrence of fossil Bischofia woods in China, contributing to our scant knowledge of Chinese Paleogene angiosperm woods.