PLANT REMAINS FROM THE VELLERAT FORMATION (OXFORDIAN) OF THE SWISS JURA MOUNTAINS

The Natica Member of the Vellerat Formation (Late Oxfordian) has yield ed a small florula in the quarry La Charuque (Pery-Reuchenette) in the Swiss Jura mountains. Four taxa have been found: the bennettitalean l eaf Zamites cf. feneonis, the araucariaceous conifer Brachyphyllum ci. thuioides and the cone-scale Araucarites cf. moreauana and the cheiro lepidiacean conifer Pagiophyllum araucarinum as well as male cones of the genus Masculostrobus that are thought to belong to the latter spec ies. The size of the plant remains and the association with seeds and cones points to a parauthochtonous assemblage. The palynological analy sis indicates a small plant community growing near the coast.