PLANT MACROFOSSILS FROM THE FOULDEN HILLS DIATOMITE (MIOCENE), CENTRAL OTAGO, NEW-ZEALAND

Twenty eight taxa of angiosperm fossils are described from the Early M iocene (c. 20 Ma) Foulden Hills Diatomite, not far from Dunedin, New Z ealand. Some leaves include cuticle, and this has sometimes facilitate d identification. Families confidently identified include Euphorbiacea e, Lauraceae, Myrsinaceae, Myrtaceae, Sapindaceae, and Smilacaceae, an d, less confidently, Cunoniaceae and/or Elaeocarpaceae, Hernandiaceae, Leguminosae, Meliaceae or Rutaceae Sterculiaceae, Tiliaceae, and Wint eraceae. There is a notable absence of Nothofagus macrofossils, and on ly a single conifer, a broadleaved Podocarpus. The original community was probably moderately diverse and growing on a nutrient-rich substra te. Floristics acid climate were probably similar to northern New Sout h Wales and southern Queensland today.