Mugideiriflora portugallica E.M.FRIIS, P.R.CRANE et K.R.PEDERSEN, 2020

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 : 345

Mugideiriflora portugallica E.M.FRIIS, P.R.CRANE et K.R.PEDERSEN, 2020

Text-fig. 2a, b

Description and remarks. Mugideiriflora portugallica is based on a single small, partly abraded, early anthetic flower ( Text-fig. 2a ) that has a multiparted perianth, androecium and gynoecium and was recovered from the Catefica mesofossil flora (for a full description and discussion of the species see Friis et al. 2020a). Additional specimens are preserved at very early developmental stages. The receptacle is slightly concave, but with a short conical apex in the gynoecial region ( Text-fig. 2a ). There are about 50 laminar tepals, 50 stamens and more than 50 carpels, all apparently in a spiral arrangement ( Text-fig. 2b ).

Affinity and other occurrences. Phylogenetic assessment suggests that Mugideiriflora portugallica is closely related to members of extant Austrobaileyales , although a possible affinity with members of extant Magnoliales cannot be excluded ( Friis et al. 2020a).

Mugideiriflora portugallica is currently known only from the Catefica mesofossil flora where it is recorded from samples collected near the base of the exposure.

Figures

Text-fig. 2. Scanning electron microscope (SEM, a, c–f) and synchrotron radiation X-ray tomographic microscopy (SRXTM, b, g) images of the flower of Mugideiriflora portugallica (a, b) and fruits, seeds and pollen of Canrightia resinifera (c–g); Catefica locality, Portugal. a) Oblique, apical view of flower showing multiparted organization with numerous laminar tepals, stamens that are rhomboidal and flattened in transverse section and carpels that are borne on the short conical apex of the receptacle; b) Transverse section (orthoslice xy0800) through basal part of flower showing the elongate bases of the laminar tepals and the flattened rhomboidal bases of the stamens; c) Fruit in lateral view showing irregular surface resulting from the abundant resin bodies in the fruit and hypanthium wall, scars from stamens on the rim of the hypanthium (arrowheads) and the lobed apical stigmatic region (st); d) Broken fruit with one or two seeds missing but showing three pendant, orthotropous seeds with pointed micropylar regions (mi) and a finely pitted crystalliferous endotesta; note the remains of the apical vascular bundles (vb); e) Single seed isolated from a fruit showing two distinct bundles (vb) still attached apically to the chalazal region of the seed, the pointed micropyle (mi) and the finely pitted surface of the crystalliferous endotesta; f) Monocolpate pollen from stigmatic region of fruit showing the long colpus and coarse reticulum; g) Transverse section (orthoslice xy0705) through a fruit showing four seeds all with radially elongated endothelium cells formed from the inner epidermis of the tegmen (asterisks). Specimens, Catefica 150-S174254 (a, b), Catefica 49-S170377 (c), Catefica 49-S170372 (d), Catefica 50-S170401 (e), Catefica 50-S170404 (f), Catefica 50-S174906 (g). Scale bars = 300 Μm (a–e, g), 6 Μm (f).