Abstract
The Lower Cretaceous Guantou Formation is known as an important horizon for the Cretaceous petrified woods in southern China. Though abundant Cretaceous wood remains have been found in this formation, only one species has been recognized. A new coniferous wood, Brachyoxylon zhejiangense sp. nov. is described from the Lower Cretaceous Guantou Formation in Xinchang of Zhejiang Province, southeastern China. Anatomically, the new species is characterized by obscure annual rings, mixed type of radial pitting, araucarioid cross-field pits and uniseriate xylem rays. The finding of Brachyoxylon zhejiangense sp. nov. represents the first well-defined record of Brachyoxylon in southeastern China, and enriches the diversity of the Early Cretaceous petrified wood in southern China. Additionally, the new finding sheds new light on further understanding the floral composition, especially the forest vegetation type of the southern phytoprovince in the late Early Cretaceous. Diverse compressed leaf fossils of Cheirolepidiaceae have been described from the Guantou Formation in the fossil locality of the present petrified wood. The co-occurrence of Brachyoxylon zhejiangense sp. nov. and those cheirolepidiaceous leaf fossils provide additional evidences to support that Brachyoxylon may be systematically related to the Cheirolepidiaceae.
Highlights
Anatomically-preserved petrified woods play significant roles in revealing the floristic composition and evolution of plant kingdom in geological history (Zhang et al 2006)
The Lower Cretaceous Guantou Formation is known as an important horizon for the Cretaceous petrified woods in southern China
It is of interest that compressed leaf fossils of possible Cheirolepidiaceae, e.g., Pseudofrenelopsis parceramosa (Fontaine) Watson, Pagiophyllum delicatum Cao, P. obtosior Cao, and P. xinchangense Cao, have been described from the Lower Cretaceous Guantou Formation in the same fossil locality (Suqin Village of Xinchang County, Zhejiang Province) with Brachyoxylon zhejiangense sp. nov. (Cao 1989, 1991)
Summary
Anatomically-preserved petrified woods play significant roles in revealing the floristic composition and evolution of plant kingdom in geological history (Zhang et al 2006). Until 2006, totally 181 species referred to 106 genera of petrified woods have been reported in China, ranging from Late Paleozoic to Cenozoic in time (Zhang et al 2006). An increasing number of Mesozoic petrified woods have been reported from series of horizons in all over China (e.g., Jiang et al 2008; Wang et al 2009, 2017; Jiang et al 2012, 2016; Yang et al 2013; Feng et al 2015; Shi et al 2015; Tian et al 2015, 2016; Zhang et al 2015, 2016; Ding et al 2016; Wan et al 2016). Most of the Cretaceous petrified woods were described from northern China (especially Northeast China), whereas they are very scarce and limited in southern China (Yang et al 1990; Duan et al 2002)
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