Protofrullania cornigera Heinrichs, 2017

Feldberg, Kathrin, Schaefer-Verwimp, Alfons, Li, Ya & Renner, Matt A. M., 2022, Extending the diversity of the bryoflora in Kachin amber (Myanmar), with the description of Radula patrickmuelleri, sp. nov. and R. tanaiensis, sp. nov. (Jungermanniopsida, Porellales, Radulaceae), Fossil Record 25 (1), pp. 213-230 : 213

Protofrullania cornigera Heinrichs

Protofrullania cornigera Heinrichs; in Cretaceous Research 74: 225, figs 1, 2. 2017.

Holotype.

GZG.BST.21956, Geoscience Centre (GZG) at the University of Göttingen, Germany.

Additional specimens investigated.

SNSB-BSPG 2021 XII 1 ( Müller BuB1874; syninclusion Frullania baerlocheri ), SNSB-BSPG 2021 XII 2 ( Müller BuB1893; with juvenile gynoecium), SNSB-BSPG 2021 XII 3 ( Müller BuB1897), Bavarian State Collection for Palaeontology and Geology, Munich, Germany; GZG.BST.22018 ( Müller BuB1999; with perianth), GZG.BST.22019 ( Müller BuB3534; with oval underleaves), GZG.BST.22020 ( Müller BuB3535; with gynoecium), GZG.BST.22021 ( Müller BuB3537; with androecia and oval underleaves), GZG.BST.22022 ( Müller BuB3677; with oval underleaves), Geoscience Centre (GZG) at the University of Göttingen, Germany; PB22707, PB22711b (syninclusion Frullania kachinensis ), PB23289, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; BuB3521, BuB3536, BuB3675, BuB3679 (with oval underleaves), BuB3811, BuB3812, BuB4333-4338, BuB4394 (with oval underleaves), BUB4408a, b, BUB4409, BUB4413 (with oval underleaves), Patrick Müller Amber Collection; F3251/BU/CJW, Jörg Wunderlich Amber Collection.

Locality and horizon.

Amber mines southwest of the village of Tanai ca. 105 km north of Myitkyina in Kachin State, northern Myanmar, fossil enclosed in upper Albian-lower Cenomanian Kachin amber.

Remarks.

All specimens are in good accordance with the type and previously described material (Suppl. material 1: Figs S3-S5; compare descriptions in Heinrichs et al. 2017a; Feldberg et al. 2021b) and show the characteristic helmet-shaped to campanulate Frullania -type lobules which are often large in relation to the lobes (Suppl. material 1: Figs S3D, S4F, S5B, D, F). As in previously investigated material, the form of the underleaves is very heterogenous ( Feldberg et al. 2021b). Most are elongate rectangular to strap-shaped and taper progressively towards the apex (Suppl. material 1: Figs S3D, S4B, S5B). Below the apex they are usually somewhat increasing with the uppermost sector being obtriangular or irregularly rounded and often carrying rhizoid bundles and marginal teeth or cilia. Some underleaves on main shoots and occasionally also on primary branches are ovate to obovate to rectangular with the widest part in the middle and often less prominent cilia (Suppl. material 1: Figs S4F, S5F). One specimen (BuB4334) has a very distinct flagelliform branch (Suppl. material 1: Fig. S3E).

Family RADULACEAE

Genus Radula