Fossil Leaves of the Araceae from the European Eocene and Notes on Other Aroid Fossils

Abstract

A comparative study of leaf morphology and venation patterns of extant Araceae has been undertaken in order to define groups matching aroid fossil leaves from the Eocene of Central Europe. As a result, four morphogenera have been recognized: Araceophyllum Krausel emend. Wilde, Z. Kvacek & Bogner (subfamily Pothoideae); Araciphyllites Wilde, Z. Kvacek & Bogner, gen. nov. (subfamilies Monsteroideae and Aroideae); Caladiosoma Berry (tribes Colocasieae and Caladieae); and Nitophyllites Iljinskaja emend. Fedotov (tribes Peltandreae and Arophyteae). The leaf fossils studied from the Eocene sites at Messel and Eckfeld (Germany) and Kuclin (Czech Republic) have been included in four species: Araciphyllites tertiarius (Engelhardt) Wilde, Z. Kvacek & Bogner, comb. nov. (common at Messel, rare at Eckfeld); Araciphyllites schaarschmidtii Wilde, Z. Kvacek & Bogner, sp. nov. (a single specimen at Messel); Caladiosoma messelense Wilde, Z. Kvacek & Bogner, sp. nov. (rare at Messel); and Nitophyllites bohemicus Wilde, Z. ...