Xu SL, Maslova N, Kodrul T, Zdravchev N, Kachkina V, Liu XY, Wu XK, Jin JH. Structurally Preserved
Liquidambar Infructescences, Associated Pollen, and Leaves from the Late Oligocene of the Nanning Basin, South China.
Plants (Basel) 2024;
13:275. [PMID:
38256828 PMCID:
PMC10819801 DOI:
10.3390/plants13020275]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Liquidambar L. is a significant constituent of the Cenozoic flora in the Northern Hemisphere. Currently, this genus exhibits a discontinuous distribution across Asia and North America, with the center of diversity being in southeastern Asia. This study presents the first occurrence of Liquidambar in the Oligocene of South China. Fossil sweetgum infructescences, associated pollen, and leaves have been found in the Nanning Basin, Guangxi. A new species, Liquidambar nanningensis sp. nov., is described based on the morphological and anatomical characteristics of three-dimensionally preserved infructescences. The Liquidambar fossils from the Nanning Basin show a combination of features indicative of the former genera of Altingiaceae, Altingia, Liquidambar s. str., and Semiliquidambar. The new occurrence expands the taxonomic and morphological diversity of the Paleogene Liquidambar species in South China.
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