Stopesia Tosh.Yamada et M.Kato

Plant Fossil Names Registry Number: PFN002353

Act LSID: urn:lsid:plantfossilnames.org:act:2353

Authors: T. Yamada & M. Kato

Rank: genus

Reference: Yamada, T. & Kato, M. (2008): Stopesia alveolata, a fossil seed of Trimeniaceae from the Lower Cretaceous (Albian) of Hokkaido, northern Japan. – Acta phytotaxonomica et geobotanica 59(3): 228–230.

Page of description: 228

Type

Original diagnosis/description

Seed ellipsoid, 3 mm long, 2.2 mm thick, anatropous, bitegmic. Endosperm well developed, occupying larger area than perisperm. Embryo minute, encased in the micropylar region of endosperm. Micropyle endo- and exostomic. Antiraphal vascular bundles absent. Inner integument operculate in endostomic region, but mostly crushed in other areas. Testa consisting of exotesta and mesotesta. Exotesta lignified, consisting of 1–5 layers of isodiametric cells, surface alveolate. Mesotesta parenchymatous, consisting of 4 or 5 layers of cells elongated longitudinally to seed axis.

Etymology

The generic name honors the Late Dr. Marie Stopes, who first studied the permineralized plant fossils of Japan.