FOSSIL FLOWERS AND POLLEN OF LAURACEAE FROM THE UPPER CRETACEOUS OF NEW-JERSEY

A fossil trimerous flower from the Turonian (ca. 90 MYBP, Upper Cretac eous) of New Jersey is described as a new genus in the family Lauracea e. The fossil flower is charcoalified and preserved in exceptional det ail. This fossil specimen is particularly remarkable in that several p ollen grains have been preserved; pollen grains of Lauraceae generally have very thin exine and are rarely preserved in the fossil record. A lthough the specimen is incomplete and lacks anthers, there are suffic ient structural details preserved to permit an assignment to the Laura ceae, as well as comparisons with the tribe Perseeae. This new genus p rovides an important addition to our knowledge of systematic and struc tural diversity in Cretaceous Lauraceae.