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

50
and central USA, A. rubrum L. is an important
component of swamp bushwoods and
forests in the Atlantic zone of North America
(Kearney 1901, Krüssmann 1976, Willard
et al. 2004).
Familia ?RUTACEAE
(143) ?Rutaceae type
Pl. 15, fi g. 13
Pollen grain ?8-colporate, in equatorial view
oval in outline, 50 × 35 μm in size. Colpi parallel,
not meeting each other at the poles. Pores
about 5 μm in diameter, situated equatorially
in the colpi. Exine 1.0–1.5 μm thick, surface
micro-reticulate. Lumina circular, of the same
diameter on all grain surface.
R e m a r k s. A few pollen grains of this type
(5- 8-colporate) were found in the analysed
material. Some of them were smaller than the
described one.
Familia MELIACEAE
Meliapollis Sah & Kar 1970
(144) Meliapollis sp.
Pl. 15, fi g. 16
1964 cf. Melia sp.; Stuchlik, p. 56, pl. 17, fi gs 3, 4.
1993 Meliaceae – type; Kohlman-Adamska, p. 149,
pl. 25, fi g. 7a–c.
Pollen grains tetracolporate, in polar view
circular in outline, in equatorial view oval to
oval-rectangle in outline, 24–30 × 15–25 μm
in size. Colpi long and narrow. Pores situated
equatorially, circular, 4–5 μm in diameter.
Exine 1.5–2.0 μm thick, surface psilate.
R e m a r k s. Pollen grains similar to pollen of
the recent Meliaceae occur in the Polish Miocene
(Stuchlik 1964, Oszast & Stuchlik 1977,
Sadowska 1977, Skawińska 1989, Kohlman-
Adamska 1993), and represent tropical (P1)
element (Ziembińska-Tworzydło et al. 1994a).
In the studied material pollen grains of Meliapollis
sp. were encountered sporadically in the
Lusatian seam.
Nowadays the family Meliaceae contains
about 50 genera and 550 species of trees and
shrubs extended in tropical and subtropical
zones (Heywood 1978).
Familia ANACARDIACEAE
Rhus L.
Rhuspollenites Thiele-Pfeiffer 1980
(145) Rhuspollenites ornatus
Thiele-Pfeiffer 1980
Pl. 15, fi g. 17a–c
1980 Rhuspollenites ornatus n. sp., Thiele-Pfeiffer,
p. 23, pl. 16, fi gs 15–22.
Pollen grains tricolporate, in equatorial
view oval in outline, 21–23 × 17–20 μm in size.
Colpi almost reaching the poles. Pores oval, in
the colpi at equator. Exine about 1.5 μm thick,
surface striato-reticulate. Striae arranged
meridionally.
R e m a r k s. These pollen grains represent
warm-temperate (A1) element (Ziembińska-
Tworzydło et al. 1994a). The species Rhuspollenites
ornatus has been described from
the Upper Oligocene and Miocene of Germany
(Thiele-Pfeiffer 1980). Only a few pollen
grains of this taxon were found in the studied
material.
The present-day genus Rhus contains about
250 species of evergreen and deciduous trees
and shrubs, distributed mainly in tropical and
subtropical zones of North America, China,
and Japan (Krüssmann 1978). Some species
prefer drier places – e.g. R. copallina L. and
R. toxicodendron L.; whereas some grow on
wet soils – e.g. R. vernix L. and R. radicans L.
(Kearney 1901).
Ordo AQUIFOLIALES
Familia AQUIFOLIACEAE
Ilex L.
Ilexpollenites Thiergart 1937
(146) Ilexpollenites iliacus (Potonié 1931)
Thiergart 1937 ex Potonié 1960
1931d Pollenites iliacus n. sp., Potonié, p. 556, fi g. 5.
1937 Ilex-pollenites iliacus (Potonié) n. comb., Thiergart,
p. 321, pl. 25, fi g. 30.
1960 Ilexpollenites iliacus (Potonié) Thiergart;
Potonié, p. 99.
R e m a r k s. These pollen grains resemble
pollen of the recent Ilex, and are nearest the