Fricia VELENOVSKÝ 1885

Kvaček, Jiří, 2013, Fricia Nobilis From The Turonian Of The Czech Republic Reinterpreted As An Ovuliferous Cone Of A Cupressoid Conifer, Acta Musei Nationalis Pragae Series B 69 (3 - 4), pp. 123-128 : 124

Genus Fricia VELENOVSKÝ 1885

T y p e: Fricia nobilis VELENOVSKÝ 1885 p. 8 , pl. 3, figs 1–3, 6, 11.

E m e n d e d d i a g n o s i s. Isolated ovoid ovuliferous cones, cone scales helically arranged, massive, cylindrical with centrally placed vascular bundle and polygonal smooth fasete (escuatcheon). Each cone scale bearing seeds of Seletya type in irregular rows .

D i s c u s s i o n. Fricia VELENOVSKÝ is defined as an ovuliferous cone with unknown foliage. In that way it differs from the genus Geinitzia ENDLICHER 1847 which is based on sterile foliage. The genus Geinitzia was previously understood in two ways, either as a form genus based on sterile foliage (Harris 1979) or a natural genus based on foliage and ovuliferous cone (as emended by Kunzmann 1999). Because the conservation of Geinitzia as a natural genus with the new type ( G. formosa ) was not successful (Zijkstra et al. 2010, Herendeen 2011), Geinitzia is in this paper understood as a morphogenus based on its type G. reichenbachii and which has as the holotype a sterile twig ( Kunzmann 2010). However, differences exist between the ovuliferous cones of Fricia nobilis and Geintzia formosa in the morphological characters. The ovuliferous cones of Fricia nobilis differ from those of Geinitzia formosa in having a more conical and massive cone axis, and cone scales bearing more seeds, in at least two irregular rows. Fricia has flat cone scale fasetes (escuatcheons) while Geinitzia formosa has ornamented fasetes. Both cones however contain Seletya type seeds. The occurrence of Seletya type seeds in ovuliferous cones was a major argument used by Kunzmann (1999) when establishing the family Geinitziaceae . However, the Geinitziaceae is in need of revision and should be reconsidered with respect to more recent studies based on molecular data ( Gadek et al. 2000, Kusumi et al. 2000, Farjon 2005) in which the Taxodiaceae and Cupressaceae were united in the Cupressaceae s.l. The Geinitziaceae can be distinguished from other Cupressaceae by the following characters: seed morphology (campylotropous/ curved locule), arrangement of vascular bundles and resin ducts in the cone scale complex (Kunzmann 1999). From this point of view the Geinitziaceae are a distinguishable group of conifers, most likely within the Cupressaceae s.l., its status however will be the topic of a forthcoming publication.

Another similar ovuliferous cone Cupressospermum MAI , differs from Fricia in the lower number of seeds born in a zigzag row and particularly in having seed morphology more similar to Kozykorpeshia than Seletya (Kunzmann 1999) .

From other cupressoid ovuliferous cones e.g. Cunninghamites lignitum ( Bosma et al 2012) Fricia differs in the type of seed ( Seletya ) and in shape of the cone scale. Fricia has very conical massive cone scales whereas Cunninghamites has more flat peltate cone scales. In the shape of its cone scales, Fricia resembles the recent genus Cupressus , however Fricia does not exhibit a decussate arrangement of cone scales. The genus Conago MILLER et HICKEY 2010 (type Conago tonsifera MILLER et HICKEY 2010 from the Early Cretaceous Wintrop Formation in Washington) is presented as a morphogenus of cones of unknown systematic affinity. Fricia differs from Conago in having a clear systematic position. In morphology it particularly differs in having Seletya type seed and massive conical ovuliferous cone scales.

Fricia also differs from cycadoid male cones of Androstrobus SCHIMPER 1870 in the absence of pollen sacs and from the ovuliferous cones Microzamia CORDA in REUSS (see Kvaček 1997), it differs in the high number of curved seeds per cone scale.