Pennicarpus tenuis E.M.FRIIS, K.R.PEDERSEN et P.R.CRANE, 2000

Friis, Else Marie, Crane, Peter R., Pedersen, Kaj Raunsgaard, Mendes, Mário Miguel & Kvaček, Jiří, 2022, The Early Cretaceous Mesofossil Flora Of Catefica, Portugal: Angiosperms, Fossil Imprint 78 (2), pp. 341-424 : 383

Pennicarpus tenuis E.M.FRIIS, K.R.PEDERSEN et P.R.CRANE, 2000

Description and remarks. Two fruits, about 0.8–1.3 mm long and 0.5 mm broad, were recovered from Catefica sample 50. The fruits (not figured) are strongly flattened and elliptical in outline with a very thin fruit wall and thin, longitudinal ridges, probably from vascular bundles, that extend for the full length of the fruits.

Affinity and other occurrences.The fruits are closely similar in size, shape and texture to those of Pennicarpus tenuis described from the Vale de Água and Buarcos mesofossil floras ( Friis et al. 2000). The fruits from Catefica have not been studied using SEM and it is unknown whether they have adhering pollen of Pennipollis E.M.FRIIS, K.R.PEDERSEN et P.R.CRANE as is known for Pennicarpus tenuis from Vale de Água and Buarcos.

Pennicarpus and the associated Pennistemon E.M.FRIIS, K.R.PEDERSEN et P.R.CRANE and Pennipollis , collectively referred to as the Pennipollis plant (Friis et al. 2011), were placed in the monocots mainly based on the distinct acolumellate pollen wall ( Friis et al. 2000), although an affinity with Chloranthaceae has also been suggested (see Doyle and Endress 2014).

So far, only two fruits have been recovered from Catefica and Pennipollis grains have not been recognized in the palynological preparations. In the Vale de Água and Buarcos mesofossil floras remains of the Pennistemon plant are abundant. Dispersed Pennipollis pollen has also been reported in early Aptian to middle Albian palynological assemblages from coastal sections in Portugal ( Heimhofer et al. 2007) and from the dispersed palynoflora of Casal do Borracho (Torres Vedras) ( Mendes et al. 2018a). Pennipollis pollen is also widespread in Early Cretaceous palynofloras from other regions (see Friis et al. 2000).