New leaf species from the upper Miocene flora of the leaf-bearing Wischgrund clay (Lower Lusatia, Brandenburg, Germany)

Abstract

This is a brief outline of the fossil content of the Wischgrund leaf-bearing clay (Lower Lusatia, Brandenburg State, Germany), which belongs to the youngest Neogene layers of Lower Lusatia (upper Miocene, Tortonian). It is a deciduous temperate flora, with a small proportion of evergreen species. The reconstructed vegetation can be assigned to an azonal swamp forest with Taxodium and a riparian forest with Liquidambar and Acer as the most frequent species. Furthermore, a zonal Mixed Mesophytic Forest characterized by Quercus and Fagus is proposed in upland positions. The flora consists of 78 species of leaves, 51 carpological species and 82 palynological groups. The climate belongs to Cfa-type according to Köppen. Two new species of leaves are described from there, Pyracantha pseudococcinea sp. nov. and Ternstroemites klettwitzensis sp. nov.