TAXONOMY AND PALEOECOLOGY OF EARLY CRETACEOUS (LATE ALBIAN) ANGIOSPERM LEAVES FROM ALEXANDER-ISLAND, ANTARCTICA

Seven species of angiospermous leaves from the mid to Late Albian of A lexander Island, Antarctica provide further evidence of angiosperm rad iation into high southern palaeolatitudes. The leaves have both palmat e (three species) and pinnate (four species) venation. Entire margined leaves with brochidodromus venation are interpreted as belonging to t he Magnoludae, and possibly include members of the Laurales. Palmately veined forms representing the Laurales occur as do palaeoherbs. Other taxa have marginal teeth comparable to those found in the Rosidae. Pa laeoecological analysis indicates that Hydrocotylophyllum alexandri sp . nov, was a herbaceous streamside coloniser; Gnafalea jeffersonii gen , et sp. nov. was a small shrubby plant growing adjacent to levee bank s. The other angiosperms, Araliaephyllum quinquelobatus sp. nov., Timo thyia trimervis gen. et sp, nov., Gnafalea binatus sp. nov., Ficophyll um palustris sp. nov., Dicotylophyllum lobatus sp. nov., occur infrequ ently in swamp deposits and probably represent a scattered understorey of trees and shrubs amongst a conifer and pentoxylalean overstorey.