Falcatifolium (Podocarpaceae) macrofossils from Paleogene sediments in south-eastern Australia: a reassessment

A re-investigation of macrofossils previously referred to the extant podoca rpaceous genus Falcatifolium Laubenfels shows that no records can be sustai ned. Falcatifolium australis D.R.Greenwood from Middle Eocene sediments in Victoria bears little resemblance to extant species in the genus and is tra nsferred to the new fossil genus Sigmaphyllum R.S.Hill & L.J.Scriven. Speci mens from Early Oligocene sediments in Tasmania previously assigned to Falc atifolium are described as a second species of Sigmaphyllum, S. tasmanensis R.S.Hill & L.J.Scriven, and specimens from mid to late Eocene sediments in Tasmania previously assigned to Falcatifolium do not belong to that genus, although their true generic affinities are uncertain. Dispersed cuticle sp ecimens from Late Eocene-Oligocene sediments in South Australia referred to Falcatifolium are not reliable records of the genus and require further in vestigation. However, Dacrycarpus eocenica D.R.Greenwood, from Middle Eocen e sediments in Victoria is transferred to Falcatifolium, and is similar to the extant species F. angustum Laubenfels, which has a leaf morphology unus ual for the genus. Falcatifolium eocenica (D.R.Greenwood) R.S.Hill & L.J.Sc riven is the only reliable record of the genus in the Australian fossil rec ord to date.