Upper Cretaceous (Senonian) floral structures of juglandalean affinity containing normapolles pollen

Abstract

Fossil angiosperm floral structures containing pollen grains referred to the Normapolles group are described from the Upper Cretaceous (Senonian) of southern Sweden. They represent the first megafossil evidence of plants producing this important pollen type and provide valuable information of the possible botanical affinities of the Normapolles genera. The material includes small flowers and fruits with remnants of floral parts. The flowers are epigynous and bisexual generally with a single whorl of perianth parts; one species is apparently naked. The fruits are one-loculed nuts with a basal and orthotropous seed. Based on the number of parts, floral symmetry and pollen morphology, three distinct genera Manningia, Antiquocarya and Caryanthus have been established. Comparison with extant and fossil plants indicates that the three genera are closely related to members of the Juglandaceae, apparently representing two different lineages.