Spanomera Drinnan, P.R.Crane, E.M.Friis et K.R.Pedersen

Plant Fossil Names Registry Number: PFN002840

Act LSID: urn:lsid:plantfossilnames.org:act:2840

Authors: A. N. Drinnan, P. R. Crane, E. M. Friis & K. R. Pedersen

Rank: genus

Reference: Drinnan, A. N., Crane, P. R., Friis, E. M. & Pedersen, K. R. (1991): Angiosperm flowers and tricolpate pollen of buxaceous affinity from the Potomac Group (mid-Cretaceous) of eastern North America. – American Journal of Botany 78(2): 153–176., link

Page of description: 155

Type

Original diagnosis/description

Flowers unisexual. Staminate flowers consisting of four to five tepals in an opposite and decussate arrangement. Each tepal with an opposed stamen consisting of a short filament and dorsifixed anther. Anthers with two pairs of ventrally displaced pollen sacs, dehiscing by a single, median, longitudinal slit along the length of each theca. Pollen tricolpate, exine semitectate with short, stout columellae supporting prominent, sinuous muri that form a distinctive striate-rugulate to reticulate-rugulate exine sculpture. Pistillate flowers bicarpellate. Carpels semicircular in outline, with a suture along most of the curved ventral margin. Stigma decurrent, formed by two papillate stigmatic crests flanking the ventral suture.

Etymology

From spanos (Greek) scarce or few, and meros (Greek) part.