Weichselia reticulata (Stokes & Webb, 1824) Fontaine emend. Alvin, 1971

Moreau, Jean-David & Néraudeau, Didier, 2023, Amber and plants from the Upper Cretaceous of La Gripperie-Saint-Symphorien (Charente-Maritime, Western France), Comptes Rendus Palevol 22 (20), pp. 455-466 : 460

Weichselia reticulata (Stokes & Webb, 1824) Fontaine emend. Alvin, 1971

( Fig. 3F, G)

Weichselia reticulata Stokes & Webb, 1824: 423 . – Alvin 1971: 27 [cum syn.].

MATERIAL. — Two specimens: IGR-23245_B ; IGR-23247 .

DESCRIPTION

The material consists of fragmented secondary pinnae ( Fig. 3F, G). The largest pinna fragment (IGR-23247) is 20 mm long and 5 mm wide. The pinnae bear up to 230µm long and up to 165 µm wide alternate, entire, oblong and leathery pinnules. They are attached by a broad base to the rachis and display a rounded apex and an entire margin. The pinnules are slightly inclined forward, forming an angle of 60-70° with the rachis. Adjacent pinnules are not in contact between them, being inserted at 160-190 mm from each other. The main vein of pinnules is straight and ends before the apex. The secondary veins display anastomosing lateral venation forming a polygonal mesh.

REMARKS

The gross morphology of pinnules as well as the reticulate venation allow to ascribe these specimens to Weichselia reticulata which is a common fern in the Cretaceous floras from Europe ( Blanco-Moreno et al. 2018). In Northern France, W. reticulata was previously reported from the Barremian-Aptian of the Paris Basin ( Carpentier 1927, 1929; Deconinck et al. 2021). In Charente-Maritime, this fern was reported from the Cenomanian clay of the Puy-Puy Lagerstätte ( Le Diouron 2005).