Vedresia E.M.FRIIS, P.R.CRANE et K.R.PEDERSEN, 2019

Friis, Else Marie, Crane, Peter R. & Pedersen, Kaj Raunsgaard, 2019, The Early Cretaceous Mesofossil Flora Of Torres Vedras (Ne Of Forte Da Forca), Portugal: A Palaeofloristic Analysis Of An Early Angiosperm Community, Fossil Imprint 75 (2), pp. 153-257 : 227

Genus Vedresia E.M.FRIIS, P.R.CRANE et K.R.PEDERSEN gen. nov.

T y p e. Designated here. Vedresia elliptica E.M.FRIIS ,

P.R.CRANE et K.R.PEDERSEN gen. et sp. nov.

P l a n t F o s s i l N a m e s R e g i s t r y N u m b e r.

PFN000487 (for new genus).

E t y m o l o g y. From part of name of Torres Vedras where the fossils were found.

D i a g n o s i s. Fruit small, elliptical in lateral and transverse views, unilocular and apparently one-seeded without remains of hypanthium or stamen scars. Stigma indistinct, sessile. Pollen broadly elliptical to circular in equatorial outline, monocolpate with a long colpus extending for the full length of the pollen. Colpus margin distinct. Semitectate-reticulate, columellate, heterobrochate. Lumina around colpus margin much smaller than lumina over the rest of the grain. Muri smooth without supratectal ornamentation.

C o m m e n t s o n t h e g e n u s. Fossil fruits of Vedresia show some similarities to fruits of Canrightiopsis E.M.FRIIS, G.W.GRIMM, M.M.MENDES et K.R.PEDERSEN described from other Early Cretaceous mesofossil floras from Portugal ( Friis et al. 2015b). However, Vedresia lacks the dorsal stamen scars that are characteristic of Canrightiopsis and the associated pollen grains have smooth muri, unlike the beaded muri of pollen associated with Canrightiopsis . Pollen grains associated with Vedresia elliptica also resemble pollen associated with Canrightia , but the pollen grains associated with Vedresia typically have a reticulum with smaller lumina. Vedresia is also distinct from Canrightia in lacking a hypanthium ( Friis and Pedersen 2011).