Leaf imprints from the Cretaceous of Santa Cruz Province, Argentina

An assemblage of imprints of leaves from Bajo de los Corrales, Santa Cruz P rovince, Argentina is described. This assemblage comprises five angiosperm species, one gymnosperm and one pteridophyte. One of the angiosperm species is well represented, other taxa are scarce. The main species is Myrtoidea patagonica gen. et sp. nov. belonging to the ochnaceous group and the order Myrtales. The leaf is a narrow elliptic blade, with entire margin and expa nded petiole. It has a massive primary vein, irregular secondary veins, whi ch are almost as thin as the tertiary veins, intersecondary veins, and one or sometimes two intramarginal veins. It belongs to the myrtophyll Morphoty pe (sensu Crabtree), and has Second Rank (following Hickey). The other spec ies are poorly preserved, but show that the flora had rather diversified an giosperms. The assemblage is compared to Barremian-Coniacian floras from th e Baquero Group, Chubut Group and Mata Amarilla Formation. It is suggested that it belongs to a different unit from those mentioned above, probably of Albian age.