Trochodendron infernense Manchester et Judd in Manchester, Kvaček & Judd

Plant Fossil Names Registry Number: PFN001079

Act LSID: urn:lsid:plantfossilnames.org:act:1079

Authors: S. R. Manchester & W. S. Judd

Rank: species

Reference: Manchester, S. R., Kvaček, Z. & Judd, W. S. (2020): Morphology, anatomy, phylogeny and distribution of fossil and extant Trochodendraceae in the Northern Hemisphere. – Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 195(online): 467–484.

Page of description: 469

Illustrations or figures: fig. 2

Types

Original diagnosis/description

Pedicellate capsular fruit of nine carpels. Fruit obovoid, rounded apically, tapering basally; stalk thinner proximally than distally. Styles persistent, strongly outwardly curved so that the apex of the style faces downward. Longitudinal dehiscence slit positioned topographically immediately ‘above’ each style and joining with adjacent slits to form a multi-rayed opening in the upper syncarpous part of the fruit. Fruit mostly smooth, with longitudinal grooves delineating adjacent carpels, with 30 or more raised circular stamen scars in the lower one-third. No obvious perianth scars. Meridional groove surrounded by small elliptical raised area situated below each style. Seeds not seen.

Etymology

The epithet infernense from Latin, infernus = Hell, refers to the locality of Hells Half Acre where the specimen was unearthed.

Stratigraphy

Paleogene, Paleocene
Fort Union Formation; late Palaeocene

Locality

United States
UF 15740d (43.018169° N, 107.078608° W), 3.1 km S-SE of Hells Half Acre, Wyoming