Abstract
The extinct genus Cruciptera, formerly documented only from the Tertiary of western North America, is recognized on the basis of well-preserved four-winged samaras, and a new species is described: Cruciptera schaarschmidtii. Analysis of the cuticle reveals peltate scales that complement morphological data in confirming the position of this genus in the Juglandaceae. The Messel fruits, together with two specimens from the middle Eocene pipe clays of southern England, indicate that Cruciptera was distributed in Europe as well as North America during the Eocene. A survey of juglandaceous fruits from the Eocene of Messel, Germany, reveals two additional genera: Palaeocarya and Hooleya. The tribal affinities of the Messel fruit genera are compared with those of juglandaceous foliage and pollen previously described from the same sediments. Palaeocarya and Hooleya share a similar paleogeographic distribution to that of Cruciptera, suggesting exchange via the Eocene North Atlantic land bridge.
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