Harufumi Nishida

Phylogeny of Osmundaceae Inferred from rbcL Nucleotide Sequences and Comparison to the Fossil Evidences

rbcL sequences of 11 of 15 extant species of Osmundaceae which represent all three genera, Osmunda, Todea and Leptopteris. Our phylogenetic analysis concluded: 1) Osmunda subg. Osmunda and subg. Plenasium are monophyletic groups, but subg. Osmundastrum is not. The genus Osmunda is not monophyletic because Todea and Leptopteris are positioned within Osmunda. 2) Osmunda cinnamomea is the most basally positioned species in Osmundaceae, and it can be called as “a living fossil” because a fossil species (O. claytoniites) with almost the same morphology as this species was recorded from the Triassic. 3) Osmunda japonica and O. regalis are very closely related with only one nucleotide difference in the rbcL gene. 4) Greater nucleotide variation (5–7 nucleotides) was found between conspecific samples of O. cinnamomea and O. claytoniana collected from Japan and United States. Each of these two species may comprise more than two biologically differentiated species.

Diversity and significance of late Cretaceous permineralized plant remains from Hokkaido, Japan

Middle to Late Cretaceous permineralized plants hitherto described from Hokkaido, Japan are summarized. The fossil flora comprises fungi, ferns, gymnosperms and angiosperms. Many modern fern families have been recognized including Anemiaceae, Cyatheaceae, Dennstaedtiaceae, Gleicheniaceae Loxsomaceae, Lygodiaceae and Matoniaceae. Gymnosperms are most abundant in the flora. Some recently-found materials are tentatively introduced with brief comments emphasizing their morphological and taxonomical significance. A bisporangiate flower ofCycadeoidella japonica Ogura shows fine internal anatomy and provides evidence that the cycadeoidalean ovule was a cupulate, unitegmic structure. Vascular tracheids in the synangial wall support the evolution of cycadeoidalean synangia from Paleozoic seed-fern synangia. A new gymnosperm female fructification has a thick envelope comparable to an angiosperm carpel around a large seed. The angiosperms contain various morphologies that require further extensive study.

Permineralized Ferns from the Middle Eocene Princeton Chert. I. Makotopteris princetonensis Gen. et Sp. Nov. (Athyriaceae)

The occurrence of numerous anatomically preserved specimens of an extinct filicalean fern in the middle Eocene Princeton chert from southern British Columbia, Canada, provides the basis for characterizing a new genus and species of the Athyriaceae. Fossils include narrow horizontal rhizomes with a radial amphiphloic dictyostele and internodes up to 1.5 cm long. Fronds are monomorphic. Adventitious roots are diarch and display a parenchymatous cortex. Stipes diverge in a radial fashion and display two hippocampiform bundles at the base. Distally, the bundles unite into a single trace, and pinnules are produced in an opposite to subopposite arrangement. The stipe, rachis, and pinnules display a continuous \documentclass{aastex} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{bm} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{pifont} \usepackage{stmaryrd} \usepackage{textcomp} \usepackage{portland,xspace} \usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra} \usepackage[OT2,OT1]{fontenc} \newcommand\cyr{ \renewcommand\rmdefault{wncyr} \renewcommand\sfdefault{wncyss} \renewcommand\encodingdefault{OT2} \normalfont \selectfont} \DeclareTextFontCommand{\textcyr}{\cyr} \pagestyle{empty} \DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6} \begin{document} \landscape

Upper Cretaceous Araucarian cones from Hokkaido : Araucaria nihongii sp. nov

\textsf{U}

New evidence of reproductive organs of Glossopteris based on permineralized fossils from Queensland, Australia. I. Ovulate organ Homevaleia gen. nov.

\end{document} ‐shaped groove on the adaxial surface. Sori of annulate sporangia are borne below veins on swollen receptacles. The sporangia are characterized by a vertical annulus and a narrow, elongated stalk. Spores are monolete and ellipsoidal, with a psilate exine and a distinctly spiny perispore. Makotopteris princetonensis gen. et sp. nov. significantly increases our knowledge of the fossil record for the Athyriaceae and documents that essentially modern athyrioids were present in the flora of North America by the early Tertiary.

Yezonia, a new section ofAraucaria (Araucariaceae) based on permineralized vegetative and reproductive organs ofA. vulgaris comb. nov. from the upper cretaceous of Hokkaido, Japan

Four species of dicotyledonous woods including three new species,Aextoxicoxylon harambouri sp. nov.,Myrceugenellites maytenoides sp. nov.,Laurelites doroteaensis sp. nov. andLaurinoxylon uniseriatum Gothan, were described from the Tertiary of Cerro Dorotea, Ultima Esperanza and Fuego Island, Chile. It was elucidated thatNothofagoxylon boureaui Salard from Cerro Dorotea is synonymous withLaurinoxylon uniseriatum from Antarctica.

Morphology and the evolution of cycadeoidales

Ten small, permineralized cones 3.0–4.2 cm in diameter are described from the Late Cretaceous Upper Yezo Group of Hokkaido, Japan. Cones are spherical with prominent winged bracts and thin ovuliferous scales, and bear one seed per cone-scale complex. Internally the pith of the cone axis is parenchymatous grading into plates and nests of sclereids in the peduncle. Numerous resin canals occur in the pith and cortex but are absent in the wood of the cone axis. Bracts display an abcission layer at the base of sharply upturned laminar tips. Integumentary layers of crushed sarcotesta and endotesta and a prominent thick sclerotesta with a zig-zag pattern of sclereids indicate that these cones were probably near maturity at the time of transport and burial. The nucellus is free from the integument except at the chalaza and shows a prominent wavy apex. Megagametophyte and dicotyledonous embryo tissues are well-preserved. These cones represent a single type of araucarian cone that closely resembles those of the section Eutacta of the genus Araucaria. Embryo structure, however, compares most favorably with those of the section Intermedia. These remains are described as representing a new species, Araucaria nihongii Stockey, Nishida et Nishida sp. nov. A reassessment of the fossil record of the sections within the genus Araucaria is given with respect to these and other previously described fossil araucarian remains.

A new fossilized tree fern stem, Nishidacaulis burgii gen. et sp. nov., from Nebraska-South Dakota, USA

Five species including two new species,Araucarioxylon kiiense Ogura,Taxodioxylon albertense (Penhal.) Shimakura,Cupressinoxylon cryptomerioides Stopes,Xenoxylon watarianum sp. nov. andCedroxylon shimakurae sp. nov., were described from the Upper Cretaceous (Late Turonian-Santonian) of southern Saghalien.