SALICACEAE de Mirbel, 1815

Blanchard, J, Wang, H & Dilcher, D, 2016, Fruits, seeds and flowers from the Bovay and Bolden clay pits (early Eocene Tallahatta Formation, Claiborne Group), northern Mississippi, USA, Palaeontologia Electronica 19 (3), pp. 1-59 : 15

Family SALICACEAE de Mirbel, 1815 Genus POPULUS Linnaeus, 1753 cf. Populus sp.

( Figure 13 )

Description. Vertically preserved dehisced capsule with four valves, each ca 3 mm long and 2.5 mm wide at the base. Apices acute. Valves attached to central portion ca 3.5 mm long and 2.5 mm wide.

Number of specimens examined. 1. UF15738- 008213.

Remarks. This vertically preserved specimen may represent a four-valved capsule or a partially preserved flower of Salicaceae ( Boucher et al., 2003; Manchester et al., 2006). The central portion where the valves are attached probably represents the remains of the hypogenous perianth and the pedicel. According to Manchester et al. (2006), this feature distinguishes Populus and Pseudosalix Boucher , Manchester, and Judd from other members of the Salicaceae .

Leaves of Populus have been identified from the Bolden locality and also from the Cockfield Formation (Claiborne Group) at Wilbanks and Warman localities in Tennessee. Pseudosalix is not known from any southeastern USA Claiborne deposits.

Figures

FIGURE 13. cf. Populus sp., UF15738-008213. Specimen showing a four-valved capsule. Scale bar equals 1 mm.