Fossil Robinia wood from the western United States

Abstract

A collection of petrified wood from the Lower Pliocene Ogallala Formation in western Oklahoma was examined. All specimens appear to be of the same taxon and exhibit features of extant Robinia species. To date, four fossil wood species of Robinia have been described. The relationship of Robinioxylon zuriensis Falqui to Robinia is doubtful because of the lack of diagnostic critical features. The remaining three, Robinia alexanderi Webber, Robinia breweri Prakash, Barghoorn and Scott, and Robinioxylon zirkelii (Platen) Müller-Stoll and Mädel do show affinity to Robinia and all have been noted as structurally similar to R. pseudoacacia. The Oklahoma woods and these three fossil species show considerable overlap in quantitative features and are identical in qualitative features. Examination of different sections (and specimens) of extant Robinia pseudoacacia wood reveals quantitative and qualitative variation similar to that found amongst the petrified woods. Robinia alexanderi, Webber, R. breweri Prakash, Barghoorn and Scott, R. zirkelii (Platen) Müller-Stoll and Mädel, and the Oklahoma specimens are considered to be conspecific as the differences between these fossil wood species are no different from those accounted for by variation within a single living species, R. pseudoacacia.