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20 August 2021 A new fern, Cladarastega burmanica gen. et sp. nov. (Dennstaedtiaceae: Polypodiales) in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber
George Poinar Jr.
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

A new fern, Cladarastega burmanica gen. et sp. nov. (Dennstaedtiaceae: Polypodiales) is described from a fertile pinnule in Burmese amber. The new species has dentate margins with acute apices, furcated 1 and 2 forked free veins angled toward pinnule apex, elongate, multicellular and glandular hairs on the epidermis, epidermal peltate scales, sori roundish, apical and subapical on abaxial surface of fronds near vein endings and paraphyses. There are both inner and outer cup-shaped indusia. The inner indusium is initially solid but then disintegrates while still attached to the sorus. The sporangium is stalked with a vertical or slightly oblique annulus. The spores are tetrahedral trilete. Related topics discussed are phylogenetic studies on ages pertaining to the origin of the Dennstaedtiaceae in comparison to the age of the fossil, associations with competing angiosperms and insect herbivores of ferns.

George Poinar Jr. "A new fern, Cladarastega burmanica gen. et sp. nov. (Dennstaedtiaceae: Polypodiales) in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber," Palaeodiversity 14(1), 153-160, (20 August 2021). https://doi.org/10.18476/pale.v14.a7
Received: 17 June 2021; Accepted: 12 July 2021; Published: 20 August 2021
KEYWORDS
angiosperms
Dennstaedtiaceae
herbivores
Mid-Cretaceous fern
morphology
Myanmar
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