Raritaniflora

Name

Raritaniflora

Rank

Genus

Authors (Pub.)

Crepet W. L. Nixon K. C. Daghlian C. P.  

Publication

Fossil Ericales from the Upper Cretaceous of New Jersey [2013/3]

Journal

International Journal of Plant Sciences

Volume

174

Issue

3

Page number

574

Year

2013

Parent Taxon

[Order] Ericales

Fossil Status

flowers (bisexual)

Type

Raritaniflora tomentosa

Diagnosis

Flowers five merous, bisexual, hypogynous, actinomorphic. Sepals valvate in bud, free for most of their length, with abaxial glands. Glands with verrucate ornamentation and single distal circular depression (identical to foliar bract and bracteole glands). Petals alternate with sepals, clawed with undulating margins, claws adaxially grooved. Androecium of five stamens opposite sepals and five staminodal nectaries opposite petals. Stamen filaments flattened, anthers dorsifixed. Pollen tricolporate, monadinous, with or without interconnecting (‘‘viscin’’) threads, with smooth exine ornamentation. Gynoecium lobed, with five locules opposite sepals; single style. Placentation axile/intruded parietal, placentae bifid with numerous ovules in each locule. Style probably hollow at least in lower half above the ovary, crenulations aligned with carpels, stigma five lobed with hemispherical indentations at lobe junctures. Fruits loculicidal capsules. Seeds with distinctive reticulate exotesta with rectangular lumina.