Lesbosoxylon kemaliyensis Akkemik & Mantzouka, 2020

Akkemik, Ünal, Mantzouka, Dimitra & Yildirim, Demet Kiran, 2020, The first report of Lesbosoxylon Süss & Velitzelos from the early-middle Miocene of eastern Anatolia, Geodiversitas 42 (23), pp. 427-441 : 432

Lesbosoxylon kemaliyensis Akkemik & Mantzouka , sp. nov. ( Figs 3-6 )

Plant Fossil Names Registry Number: PFN001780

HOLOTYPE. — Specimen KEM01 ; repository: Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Faculty of Forestry, Department of Forest Botany (designated here).

ETYMOLOGY. — The epithet “ kemaliyensis ” comes from the name of the main city “Kemaliye” nearby the fossil site.

TYPE HORIZON. — Divriği Formation.

AGE. — Early-middle Miocene.

TYPE LOCALITY. — Kemaliye (Eğin), Erzincan, Turkey.

DIAGNOSIS. — Coniferous wood with resin canals. Growth ring boundaries distinct, transition from earlywood to latewood mostly gradual, axial and radial resin canals with thin-walled epithelial cells, latewood tracheids thin to thick walled, bordered pits on radial walls of tracheids 1-2(-3) seriate, crassulae common, rays heterocellular, uniseriate, partly biseriate, uniseriate rays up to 27 cells high, fusiform rays up to 30 seriate high. Axial parenchyma occasionally present. Ray tracheids 2-3 rows, cell walls of ray tracheids smooth. Cross-field pitting pinoid, 1-2(-6) pits per cross-field, horizontal and end walls of ray parenchyma cells smooth and slightly nodular, horizontal walls occasionally pitted, indentures not observed.

DESCRIPTION

The petrified wood sample has grey color; dimensions are 7 × 8 × 19 cm ( Fig.3 ). In cross section,growth ring boundaries are distinct, transition from earlywood to latewood is mostly gradual ( Fig.4A, B ). Measured diameters of tracheids and pits are given inTable 1. Axial resin canals with thin walled epithelial cells present mostly in latewood zone ( Fig. 4A, B ). Traumatic resin canals present ( Fig. 4C ). In tangential section, rays uniseriate ( Fig.4D ), and fusiform rays present ( Fig. 4E ). Rays occasionally biseri-ate or partly biseriate ( Fig. 5A ). Big rays with idioblast-like cells present ( Fig 5 B-D). Ray cells uniform in some rays, and heterocellular, wider or narrower ( Fig. 5 D-E). Height of uniseriate rays up to 27 cells ( Fig. 4C ), height of fusiform rays up to 30 cells and wider ( Fig. 4D and Fig. 5D ). Average height of rays 4-15 cells. Radial resin canals with thin–walled epithelial cells. Axial parenchyma cells occasionally present, and generally smooth transverse end walls ( Fig. 5 F-G and I), and slightly nodular ( Fig. 5H ). Axial resin canal visible in radial section ( Fig. 6A ). Tracheid pitting in radial walls of earlywood 1-2 (-3) seriate opposite and crassulae formation common ( Fig. 5 B-D). Cross-field pitting pinoid in 1(-2) rows of usually 1-2(-6) pits per cross-field ( Fig. 6E, F ). End walls of ray parenchyma cells smooth, no indentures observed. Rays heterocellular. Ray tracheids present, 1-3 seriate, smooth walled ( Fig. 6G ). Ray cells smooth walled ( Fig. 6 E-H) and occasionally pitted. These descriptive features are also provided in Appendix A based on “Criteria used according the IAWA for fossil conifers” by Wheeler et al. (2004).

Figures

FIG. 3. — The petrified wood used in description (specimen KEM01, 7 × 8 × 19 cm, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Faculty of Forestry).

FIG. 4. — Wood features of Lesbosoxylon kemaliyensis Akkemik & Mantzouka, sp. nov.: A, B, transversal section with gradual transition from earlywood to latewood (arrow); C, traumatic resin canals in transversal section (arrow); D, uniseriate rays in tangential section (arrow); E, fusiform ray with horizontal resin canal, and resinous cells around the ray (arrow). Scale bars: A-C, E, 200 µm; D, 100 µm.

FIG. 5. — Wood features of Lesbosoxylon kemaliyensis Akkemik & Mantzouka, sp. nov.: A, Biseriate ray (black arrow) and tracheids with resin material (white arrow); B, a tall fusiform ray (arrow); C, D, big rays with idioblast-like cells (asterisk); E, heterocelluler ray cells in a ray; F, G, H, I, axial parenchyma cells with smooth end walls (white arrows), and slightly nodular end walls (black arrow). Scale bars: A, B, E, 100 µm; C, D, F-I, 20 µm.

FIG. 6. — Wood features of Lesbosoxylon kemaliyensis Akkemik & Mantzouka, sp. nov.: A, radial section with axial resin canal (arrow); B-D, 1-3 seriate of tracheidal pitting, and crassulae formation common (white arrow); E, pinoid type cross-field pitting, 1-2 pits per cross-field on one row, and smooth end wall of ray cell; F, six pits on two rows in a cross-field (arrow); G, pit border on ray tracheids (arrow); H, one-two seriate of smooth-walled ray tracheids (arrow). Scale bars: A, 200 µm; B, 100 µm; C-G, 20 µm; H, 30 µm.