A NEW SPECIES OF FITZROYA (CUPRESSACEAE) FROM OLIGOCENE SEDIMENTS IN NORTH-WESTERN TASMANIA

Vegetative twigs from Oligocene sediments in north-western Tasmania ar e assigned to a new fossil species of Fitzroya, F. tasmanensis. These twigs differ from extant F. cupressoides in leaf shape and stomatal or ientation and morphology. This is the first fossil record of Fitzroya from outside the current range of the genus (South America). Previous fossil records of Fitzroya from South America are almost certainly err oneous. These fossils occur in sediments with leaves and cupules of No thofagus subgenus Nothofagus, which is also restricted to South Americ a today. This suggests that some current plant associations in souther n South America provide good analogues for vegetation in Oligocene Tas mania.