Banksieaephyllum
| Banksieaephyllum | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Division: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
| Tribe: | |
| Genus: | Banksieaephyllum Cookson & Duigan
|
| Species | |
|
See text | |
Banksieaephyllum is a plant genus that encompasses organically preserved fossil leaves that can be attributed to the subtribe Banksiinae, but cannot be allocated at genus level. This taxon is necessary because the Banksiinae genera, Banksia and Dryandra, cannot be distinguished on leaf characteristics alone.[1]
Before 1950, many fossil leaves were attributed to the genera Banksia and Dryandra. In most cases, leaves with triangular lobes were associated with Dryandra, and leaves with serration were associated with Banksia. In 1950, Isabel Cookson and Suzanna Duigan showed this policy to be flawed, by demonstrating that the leaves of the two genera cannot be reliably distinguished. Since the two genera then comprised tribe Banksieae, Cookson and Duigan erected Banksieaephyllum to contain such leaves.[1] Since then, these two genera have been further grouped into subtribe Banksiinae, and another subtribe, Musgraveinae, erected to contain two other genera. In line with the intentions of Cookson and Duigan, Banksieaephyllum is now defined as encompassing organically preserved fossil leaves that can be attributed to the Banksiinae; thus its name is no longer particularly appropriate.[2]
Fossils ascribed to Banksieaephyllum have been found in sediments dating from the Paleocene to early Miocene. At of 1998, the most recent synopsis, there are 16 species, including:
- Banksieaephyllum acuminatum
- Banksieaephyllum angustum
- Banksieaephyllum attenuatum
- Banksieaephyllum cuneatum
- Banksieaephyllum elongatus
- Banksieaephyllum fastigatum
- Banksieaephyllum incisum
- Banksieaephyllum longifolium
- Banksieaephyllum obovatum
- Banksieaephyllum pinnatum
- Banksieaephyllum praefastigatum
- Banksieaephyllum regularis
- Banksieaephyllum urnifome
- Banksieaephyllum westdaliensis
See also
- Banksieaeformis, a genus for fossil leaves with the same architecture as Banksieaephyllum, but without organic detail; like Banksieaephyllum, these can be attributed to subtribe Banksiinae, but not to a genus.
- Banksieaeidites, a genus for fossil pollen specimens that can be attributed to subtribe Banksiinae, but not to a genus.
References
- ^ a b Cookson, Isabel C. and Duigan, Suzanne L. (1950). "Fossil Banksieae from Yallourn, Victoria, with notes on the morphology and anatomy of living species". Australian Journal of Scientific Research, Series B (Biological Sciences). 3 (2): 133–165.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Vadala, Anthony J. and Drinnan, Andrew N. (1998). "Elaborating the Fossil History of Banksiinae: A New Species of Banksieaephyllum (Proteaceae) from the Late Paleocene of New South Wales" (PDF). Australian Systematic Botany. 11: 439–463. Retrieved 2006-11-15.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
