LAURACEOUS-INFLORESCENCES AND FLOWERS FROM THE CENOMANIAN OF BOHEMIA (CZECH-REPUBLIC, CENTRAL-EUROPE)

A new species of the fossil genus Mauldinia Drinnan ct al. (Lauraceae) is described from the Cenomanian of Bohemia. Czech Republic, central Europe. This constitutes the first well-documented report of Lauraceae from the European Cretaceous. and a new species, M. bohemica, is base d on a large assemblage of compression fossils as well as three-dimens ionally preserved specimens. Inflorescences are of the same unique org anization as in the type species, with distinctly bilobed lateral infl orescence units attached on elongated central axes in a helical arrang ement. Lateral inflorescence units are dorsiventrally flattened and co mposed of small leaflike scales that are closely attached in a distich ous arrangement on each lobe. Flowers are borne in the axils of the le aflike scales on the adaxial surface of each lobe. Flowers are trimero us with two perianth whorls, nine fertile and bivalvate stamens in thr ee whorls, three staminodes in an inner fourth whorl, and a single car pel. A pair of staminal appendages with glandular heads is associated with the filaments of the third staminal whorl. A hypothesis concernin g the derivation of the peculiar Mauldinia inflorescence is discussed and includes reduction and condensation of proliferating dichasia thro ugh a process called ''syndesmy.'' A survey of the fossil record showe d that Mauldinia had a wide geographic distribution and was an importa nt element in many floras during the Cenomanian.