Ricciopsis speirsiae G.L.Hoffman et Stockey

Plant Fossil Names Registry Number: PFN001877

Act LSID: urn:lsid:plantfossilnames.org:act:1877

Authors: G. L. Hoffman & R. A. Stockey

Rank: species

Genus: Ricciopsis Lundbl.

Reference: Hoffman, G. L. & Stockey, R. A. (1997): Morphology and paleoecology of Ricciopsis speirsae sp.nov. (Ricciaceae), a fossil liverwort from the Paleocene Joffre Bridge locality, Alberta, Canada. – Canadian Journal of Botany 75(8): 1375–1381.

Page of description: 1376

Illustrations or figures: figs 3–8

Types

Original diagnosis/description

Thallus prostrate, linear, branched, with distinct dorsal sulcus and rounded terminal segments. Branching dichotomous in a single plane; branching angle ca. 35–45°, between segments, distance between branches typically 3.0–5.0 mm. Maximum known length 55 mm with seven dichotomies. Width typically 1.5–2.0 mm, sometimes abruptly dilated to as much as 5.0 mm proximal to a dichotomy, and rarely sharply constricted to about 0.7 mm. Margin smooth, without papillae. Sulcus medial, constant in width, persistent.

Etymology

The species is named in honour of Mrs. A.E. (Betty) Speirs who collected most of the specimens described in this study, as well as many thousands of others from fossil localities in the Red Deer area.

Stratigraphy

Paleogene, Paleocene
Paskapoo Formation, near the base of the Lacombe Member

Middle Paleocene. North American Land-Mammal Age is middle Tiffanian (Ti3) zone (Plesiadapis rex – P. churchilli lineage-zone) (Fox 1990). Palynological zone is P4 (Caryapollenites wodehousei zone) of Demchuk (1990).

Locality

Canada
Joffre Bridge Roadcut, Alberta Provincial Highway 11, about 14 km east of Red Deer, Alta. (LSD 12-13 and LSD 9-14-38-26-W4; 52°16′15″N, 113°36′30″W; UTM Grid 12UUN226940).