Jerseyanthus

Name

Jerseyanthus

Rank

Genus

Authors (Pub.)

Crepet W. L. Nixon K. C. Gandolfo M. A.  

Publication

An extinct calycanthoid taxon, Jerseyanthus calycanthoides, from the Late Cretaceous of New Jersey [2005/8]

Journal

American Journal of Botany

Volume

92

Issue

9

Page number

1476

Year

2005

Parent Taxon

[Family] Calycanthaceae

Fossil Status

flowers

Type

Jerseyanthus calycanthoides

Diagnosis

Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic/pleiomorphic, and pedicellate; receptacle cupulate, somewhat campanulate, bearing 40–50 imbricate tepals externally; distal rank (at rim of cupule) of tepals ovate and slightly recurved; androecium in one cycle, consisting of 12 ‘‘stamen-staminode’’ pairs near the rim of the cupule, staminodes and stamens in two series; each ‘‘stamen-staminode’’ pair complex subtended by a single tepal; ‘‘stamen-staminodes’’ pair composed of single flattened, stalked, incurved staminode subtending and opposite (to the outside of) a single apparently fertile dithecal stamen; fertile stamens fleshy, without noticeable filament, the two separate thecae not embedded, attached marginally/abaxially, staminal dehiscence ‘‘valvate’’ (dehiscence slit I-shaped, with a complete longitudinal dehiscence and short lateral dehiscence lines at the base and apex of the anther), latrorse to extrorse; endothecium one-layered with U-type thickenings; connective extended into a biparted ramified ‘‘antler’’ or ‘‘candelabrum’’ with 6–8 branches terminating in spheres (‘‘food bodies’’) with ornamented surfaces; pollen grains rounded, disulculate; cupulate receptacle clothed inside with densely packed long simple trichomes extending to the mouth; gynoecium basal within the cupulate receptacle; carpels free, ca. 24, conduplicate, laterally compressed, style solitary, narrow, geniculate at the base, typically extending to mouth of receptacular cupule; carpellodes present, ca. 24, exterior to the fertile carpels; ovule number unknown; seed one per carpel, marginally attached.