Fossil flowers of ericalean affinity from the Late Cretaceous of Southern Sweden

Charcoalified fossil flowers of a new genus and species (Paradinandra sueci ca) with affinities to Ericales s.l. (sensu late) are described from the La te Cretaceous (Santonian-Campanian) from Southern Sweden. The flowers are p entamerous, hypogynous, and actinomorphic. Aestivation of sepals and petals is imbricate-quincuncial. The androecium consists of an outer whorl with s ingle episepalous stamens and an inner whorl with paired epipetalous stamen s. Pollen is small and probably tricolpate. Three carpels form a syncarpous ovary with numerous campylotropous ovules on parietal placentas. The style s are free for most of their length. The structure of mature fruits and see ds is unknown. Clear distinction of sepals and petals, possible dehiscence of anthers by restricted slits, presence of a nectary, and the general flor al construction (salverform corolla) with a canalized access to the floral center clearly indicate insect pollination of the fossil flowers. Compariso ns with extant taxa demonstrate that Paradinandra suecica shares many simil arities with Ericales s.l. and in particular with members of Ternstroemiace ae, Theaceae, and Actinidiaceae. However, it is neither identical to any on e genus of these families nor to any of the previously described ericalean taxa from the Cretaceous and thus provides further evidence of the diversit y of Cretaceous ericalean plants.