Abstract
Spirematospermum is a well-known extinct zingiberalean taxon, characterized by trilocular capsules containing many distinctive, spirally striate and arillate seeds. It is frequently found and studied in European Neogene carpological floras, but is scarcely represented in East Asia floras. In this work we recognize a new fossil record of Spirematospermum wetzleri (Heer) Chandler based on the capsules and seeds from the Miocene of Weichang, Hebei Province, North China. These fossils represent the first record of the species in the Miocene of China. Fossil data indicate that Spirematospermum probably originated in the Late Cretaceous of North America or Central Europe. The genus still existed in the Paleocene of North America, but became extinct after that time. However, the genus successively survived in Europe from the Eocene to Pliocene, and flourished luxuriantly during the Oligocene to Miocene. As there was Turgai Strait between Europe and Asia during the Eocene, the genus did not spread to Central Asia and West Siberia until the strait closed in the late Eocene/early Oligocene, and further expanded eastwardly to eastern Siberia, Russia, northern China and central Japan during the Miocene, but became extinct in Asia after the Miocene. The genus contracted its distribution to Europe in the Pliocene, and afterwards it became extinct in the world.
Highlights
Spirematospermum Chandler (Zingiberales) is an extinct genus, established for trilocular capsules containing many distinctive seeds with spirally striate testa and aril (Chandler 1925; Friedrich and Koch 1970; Fischer et al 2009)
Manchester and Kress (1993) noticed that the unribbed fruits that taper into the basal stalk, multiple seeds per locule and the presence of a chalazal chamber in the seed suggest a close affinity to Musaceae, but Spirematospermum possesses a spirally striate testa that is found today in Zingiberaceae, not in Musaceae, displays combined characters of both Musaceae and Zingiberaceae
We reported the capsules and seeds of Spirematospermum from the early Miocene of Weichang, Hebei Province, North China, which was preliminary identified to the genus by Yi et al (2008)
Summary
Spirematospermum Chandler (Zingiberales) is an extinct genus, established for trilocular capsules containing many distinctive seeds with spirally striate testa and aril (Chandler 1925; Friedrich and Koch 1970; Fischer et al 2009). Spirematospermum has long been a subject of controversy regarding its systematic affinity, since Heer (1859) first described its capsules and seeds from the Miocene of Günzburg, Germany, but he identified them as Gardenia wetzleri Heer (Rubiaceae). Fischer et al (2009) made a comprehensive study of S. wetzleri based on an extraordinary mass occurrence of capsules and seeds, petioles, a putative pollen grain, associated rhizomes and Zingiberales-type leaves, and phytoliths of these organs from the middle Miocene of Ponholz, Germany. They placed Spirematospermum as sister to Musa L. They placed Spirematospermum as sister to Musa L. + Ensete Bruce ex Horan. clade and proposed a new subfamily Parietimusoideae in the Musaceae to accommodate Spirematospermum, taking into account its capsule with parietal placentation and probable rhizomatous growth
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