Kirchheimeria globulus (Menzel) R.Kowalski in Kowalski & Worobiec

Plant Fossil Names Registry Number: PFN000371

Act LSID: urn:lsid:plantfossilnames.org:act:371

Author: R. Kowalski

Rank: species

Basionym: Elaeocarpus globulus Menzel

Genus: Kirchheimeria R.Kowalski in Kowalski & Worobiec

Reference: Kowalski, R. & Worobiec, E. (2018): Revision of Comarostaphylis globula (Ericaceae) from Cenozoic of Central Europe. – Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 254: 20–32.

Page of description: 21

Illustrations or figures: pls I-IV

Other combinations

Types

Original diagnosis/description

E. foliis coriaceis, breviter petiolatis, lanceolato-obovatis; basi sensim attenuatis, apice obtusatis, margine crenatis, basin versus integris; nervatione distincta; nervo primario valido, excurrente; nervis secundariis alternantibus vel suboppositis, angulis 60—70° egredientibus, hic illic furcatis, primo strictis, deinde sursum curvatis, camptodromis, ramulos externos camptodromos emittentibus, e quibus ramuli in dentes intrant; nervis secundariis incompletis saepe interpositis; nervis tertiariis ramosis, e nervo primario angulis acutis exeuntibus et secundariis fere parallelis, e nervis secundariis angulo subrecto orientibus, laqueos oblongos formantibus.
Fructibus drupaceis, globulosis; pericarpio verisimiliter coriaceo, putamine duro, sphaerico, quinqueloculari, longitudinaliter punctato.

Emended diagnosis

Emended diagnosis by Mai (1999: Feddes Repertorium 110(1-2): 57):

Fruits drupaceous, globous, with 5 (rarely 10) locules, big, 3.0–9.5 mm in diameter, with a ring-shaped, five- to six-lobed calyx basically, disc-like, central channel with the placenta in the upper third, rounded stylus apically, short, rnammillate. Epicarp coriaceous, shining at the surface; mesocarp papillate, loose, decaying; endocarp parenchymatous; dehiscence loculicid into 5 (~10) segments, but only after strong pressure. Seeds singular, in the dimension of the locule, nearly oval, flattened, anatropous, with a thin, one-layered testa, surface of the testa reticulate-striped, foveolate, connected with the drupa.

Emended diagnosis by Kowalski, R. & Worobiec, E. (2018: Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 254: 24):

Fruits globular to ellipsoidal (Plate I, 1a, 2; Plate VI, 3), 3–10 mm long and 3–9 mm wide, calyx five-sepalous (Plate I, 3), very short, sepals bradly ovate; discus present; pedicel slender, short up to 1/3 of the fruit length, pendulous (Plate I, 2; Plate VI, 3); Stigma subsessile, lobed, lobes very short (Plate I, 1a–1c; Plate IV, 1b). Exocarp smooth, opaque (Plate I, 1a, 2); Mesocarp very thin, up to three cell layers thick (Plate II, 1b), thicker only at the base of the fruit (Plate II, 1a).The endocarp's wall is composed of isodiametric or relatively large and slightly elongated cells 150–250 μm wide (Plate II, 1c,
2). Locules fused into single, 5–7 (rarely 10) locular stone (Plate III, 1a), arranged around cylinder of the central vascular bundle (Plate II, 1a), which continues to 2/3 of the fruit length and further diverges into smaller strands (Plate II, 1a, 2). Locules one-seeded. Seeds flat, dshaped, up to 4.0 mm long and 2.5 mm wide (Plate II, 1a). The seed coat is delicate, being one cell thick, with epidermal cells isodiametric to slightly elongated, with prominent anticlinal walls and smooth, concave periclinal walls (Plate II, 3).

Etymology

After the globe-shaped form, lat. “globdus“. [from Mai 1999: Feddes Repertorium 110(1-2): 57]

Stratigraphy

Neogene, Miocene
middle Miocene, 2nd Lusatian coal seam, upper part of the Brieske Formation, Welzow Member [according to Kowalski, R. & Worobiec, E. (2018): Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 254: 24]

Locality

Germany
“Guerrini” brown-coal open-pit mine near Vetschau, Lower Lusatia [according to Kowalski, R. & Worobiec, E. (2018): Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 254: 24]