Middle Miocene palynoflora of the Legnica lignite deposit complex ...

Familia ALTINGIACEAE
Liquidambar L.
Periporopollenites Pfl ug & Thomson
in Thomson & Pfl ug 1953
(78) Periporopollenites orientaliformis
(Nagy 1969) Kohlman-Adamska
& Ziembińska-Tworzydło
in Stuchlik et al. 2009
Pl. 11, fi gs 7a–c, 9 a, b
1969 Liquidambarpollenites orientaliformis n. sp.,
Nagy, p. 171, pl. 42, fi gs 1, 2.
2009 Periporopollenites orientaliformis (Nagy) Kohlman-Adamska
& Ziembińska-Tworzydło comb.
nov.; Stuchlik et al., p. 71, pl. 58, fi gs 1–3, 6–11,
pl. 59, fi gs 1–3.
R e m a r k s. These pollen grains are similar
to pollen of the recent Liquidambar orientalis
L. from Asia Minor (Nagy 1969). They differ
from Periporopollenites stigmosus in ellipsoidal
pores. Periporopollenites orientaliformis represents
warm-temperate (A1) element, and occurs
in the Miocene – Pliocene deposits. In Poland,
pollen grains of this species are scattered in
the Middle and Upper Miocene (Stuchlik et al.
2009). They were rarely found in the studied
material, mainly in the Lusatian seam.
(79) Periporopollenites stigmosus (Potonié
1931) Thomson & Pfl ug 1953
Pl. 11, fi gs 6a, b, 8
1931a Pollenites stigmosus n. sp., Potonié, p. 332, pl. 2,
fi g. 1.
1937 Liquidambarpollenites stigmosus (Potonié) n.
comb., Raatz, p. 17, fi g. 26.
1953 Periporopollenites stigmosus (Potonié) n. comb.,
Thomson & Pfl ug, p. 111, pl. 15, fi g. 58.
R e m a r k s. This species is morphologically
identical with pollen of the recent Liquidambar.
This is confi rmed by fi nding this type of
pollen in situ in fossil infl orescence of Liquidambar
europea A. Braun (Kohlman-Adamska
et al. 2004, Stuchlik et al. 2007). Periporopollenites
stigmosus is most similar to pollen of the
recent Liquidambar styracifl ua L. from North
America (Nagy 1969), which grows in mixed
forests with Liriodendron tulipifera, Tsuga
canadensis, and T. caroliniana, on humid
soils. Periporopollenites stigmosus represents
warm-temperate (A1) element, and occurs in
the Miocene to Pliocene deposits. In Poland it
33
is encountered in the Middle and Upper Miocene
(Stuchlik et al. 2009). Pollen grains of
this species were regularly encountered in the
studied profi les, particularly in the Lusatian
seam, but in quantities not exceeding 2%.
Pollen grains of Liquidambar type occur
in fossil palynofl oras since the Palaeocene,
but they are more frequent since the Eocene
(Kuprianova 1960, Muller 1981).
Today the genus Liquidambar (about 6
species of trees) grows in East Asia (southern
China, Taiwan, Vietnam), eastern part of
the Mediterranean Region (Turkey, Rhodes,
Cyprus), south-eastern part of North America,
and Mexico and Nicaragua in central America
(Krüssmann 1977, Kubitzki 1993).
Familia HAMAMELIDACEAE
Tricolporopollenites Pfl ug & Thomson
in Thomson & Pfl ug 1953
Corylopsis Sieb. & Zucc.
(80) Tricolporopollenites sp. 1 –
Corylopsis type sensu Oszast 1960
Pl. 11, fi g. 12a, b
1960 Corylopsis sp.; Oszast, p. 24, pl. 8, fi gs 6, 8–10.
R e m a r k s. Pollen grains of this type occur in
the Neogene sediments and are usually named
Corylopsis (Oszast 1960, 1967, 1973, Stuchlik
1964, Oszast & Stuchlik 1977, Skawińska
1989). They were sporadically found in the studied
material.
The present-day genus Corylopsis includes
about 20 (7–22) species of deciduous shrubs
and trees, which grow from Assam to Japan,
with the greatest variability in China (Krüssmann
1976, Kubitzki 1993).
Parrotia C.A. Mey., Distylium
Sieb. & Zucc.
(81) Tricolporopollenites indeterminatus
(Romanowicz 1961)
Ziembińska-Tworzydło 1974
Pl. 11, fi g. 13
1961 Pollenites indeterminatus n. sp., Romanowicz,
p. 355, pl. 21, fi g. 275.
1974 Tricolporopollenites indeterminatus (Romanowicz)
n. comb., Ziembińska-Tworzydło, p. 397,
pl. 24, fi g. 9a, b.
R e m a r k s. Pollen grains of this species