Platanaceous plants from the Paleocene of Alberta, Canada

Abstract

A new platanaceous plant is described from the Joffre Bridge locality from the Paleocene of western Canada. The plant is based upon a suite of distinctive platanaceous remains. These include: foliage leaves that resemble Platanus nobilis Newberry, pistillate inflorescences and infructescences assigned to a new species of Macginicarpa Manchester, M. manchesteri Pigg et Stockey, sp. nov., staminate inflorescences assigned to a new species of Platananthus Manchester emend. Friis et al., P. speirsae Pigg et Stockey, sp. nov., isolated groups of stamen clusters containing platanaceous pollen, and young seedlings in several stages of development. Based on their exclusive co-occurrence at a single locality these disarticulated organs are thought to represent the same platanaceous plant. The reconstruction of the Joffre plane tree is the second “whole plant” reconstruction from the Joffre Bridge locality. Along with the cercidiphyllaceous Joffrea speirsii Crane and Stockey, the Joffre plane tree can be included among the best known Paleocene angiosperms.