Notes on Other Fossils of Indeterminate Status

Malvaceae Info (Home)
Fossil Index

These are fossils for which I do not have complete information on what plant part is represented. In many cases at least some of the material is leaf material.

Note that Albian, Cenomanian and Santonian fossils are too old to be plausible malvaceous fossils. If the estimates of the age of the family are correct then the only Cretaceous fossils that can belong are those of Campanian and Maastrichtian age. Fossils excluded on these grounds are

  • Apeibopsis cyclophylla Lesqueroux from the Cenomanian Dakota Grp (Group) of the Rocky Mountains region.
  • Apeibopsis nordenskioldi Heer from Disko Island in West Greenland, thought to be of Cenomanian age.
  • Bombax virginiensis Fontaine is recorded from the Albian Patapsco Fm (Formation) of the Middle Atlantic region of the USA.
  • Grewiopsis aequidentata Lesquereux from the Cenomanian Dakota Grp of the Rocky Mountains region.
  • Grewiopsis formosa Berry is recorded from the Cenomanian Tuscaloosa Fm of the southeastern USA.
  • Grewiopsis haydenii Lesquereux and Grewiopsis mudgei Lesquereux from Cenomanian Dakota Group of the Rocky Mountains region.
  • Grewiopsis tuscaloosensis Berry from the Cenomanian Tuscaloosa Fm of the southeastern USA.
  • Grewiopsis yukonensis Hollick from the Albian Melozi Fm of Alaska and the Yukon.
  • Pterospermites carolinensis Berry from the Cenomanian Tuscaloosa and Eutaw Fms of the southeastern USA.
  • Pterospermites longeacuminatus Lesquereux from the Cenomanian Dakota Grp of the Rocky Mountains region.
  • Pterospermites modestus Lesquereux and from the Cenomanian Dakota Grp and Turonian Raritan Fm of ...
  • Sterculia aperta Lesquereux, Sterculia lugubris Lesquereux, Sterculia obtusiloba Lesquereux and Sterculia reticulata Lesquereux from the Cenomanian Dakota Grp of the Rocky Mountains region.
  • Sterculia atwoodi Hollick from the Cenomanian Kaltag Fm of ...
  • Sterculia basiauriculata Hollick from the Albian Melozi Fm.
  • Sterculia elegans Fontaine from the Albian Patapsco Fm of the Middle Atlantic region of the USA.
  • Sterculia mucronata Lesquereux and from the Cenomanian Dakota Grp and Turonian Raritan Fm of ...
  • Sterculia towneri (Lesquereux) Berry from the Albian Cheyenne Sandstone
  • Apeibopsis

    Apeibopsis is presumably thought to be similar to Apeiba. It is listed as a fossil tiliaceous genus in online copies of old German and Hungarian language encylopaedias.

  • Apeibopsis atwoodii Hollick is recorded from the Maastrichtian Chignik Fm of Alaska.
  • Apeibopsis discolor Lesquerous is recorded from the Maastrichtian Lance and Medicine Bow Fms of Wyoming.
  • Apeibopsis laramiensis Knowlton is recorded from the Maastrichtian Laramie and Medicine Bow Fms of Wyoming.
  • Apeibopsis neomexicana Knowlton is recorded from the Palaeocene Raton Formation of the southwestern USA.
  • Other published names are Apeibopsis(?) descloesii, Apeibopsis gaudini, Apeibopsis heerii and Apeibopsis laharpei Heer. The first is now identified as Nyssa bilinica [1]. The last might be styracaceous.

    Some leaf material placed in Apeibopsis has since been transferred to Nyssa alata (Cornacae) [a]..

    Bombacites

  • Bombacites ceibaoides Bell is recorded from the Eocene Indio Fm of Texas
  • Bombacites eocenicus Berry is recorded from the Eocene Wilcox Grp of the southeastern USA
  • Bombacites formosus Berry is recorded from the Eocene Lagrange and Wilcox Fms of the southeastern USA
  • Bombacites jacksonensis Berry is recorded from the Eocene Jackson Fm of the southeastern USA
  • Bombacites wilcoxianuis Berry is recorded from the Eocene Lagrange and Wilcox Fms of the southeastern USA
  • Bombax

    Bombax oblongifolium Ettinghausen and Bombax salmaliaefolium Ettinghausen represent Nyssa bilinica (Cornaceae).

    Byttneria

  • Buettneria eocenica Berry is recorded from the Eocene Wilcox Formation of .the southeastern USA
  • Buettneria jacksoniana Berry is recorded from the Eocene Fayette Formation of the southeastern USA
  • Note that Buettneria is also a genus of labyrinthodont amphibians.

    Dombeyopsis

    Dombeyopsis lobata Unger is recorded from the Miocene and Oligocene of Germany, the Miocene of France, and the Early Miocene of Bohemia.

    Dombeyopsis trivialis and Dombeyopsis obtusa are recorded from the Hell Creek Formation (Maastrichtian) of the Cretaceous of the United States; the latter at least is thought to be platanalean.

  • Dombeyopsis colgatensis Brown is recorded from the Maastrichtian Lance Fm of the Rocky Mouintain region
  • Dombeyopsis grandifolia Unger is recorded from the Paleocene Denver Fm of the Rocky Mouintain region
  • Dombeyopsis islandica Heer is recorded from Miocene of Husavik (Iceland)
  • Dombeyopsis magnifica Knowlton is recorded from the Paleocene Dawson Fm of Colorado.
  • Dombeyopsis magnofolia Knowlton is recorded from the Paleocene Raton Fm of the southwestern USA.
  • Dombeyopsis obtusa Lesquereux is recorded from the Maastrichtian Hell Creek, Lance, Laramie and Medicine Bow Fms of the Rocky Mountain regions. It is thought to be platanalean.
  • Dombeyopsis ovata Knowlton is recorded from the Santonian (of Comox) and from the Maastrichtian Laramie Fm of the Rocky Mouintain region
  • Dombeyopsis platanoides Lesquereux is recorded from the Paleocene Livingston Fm and the Campanian Mesa Verde and Lance Fms of the Rocky Mouintain region
  • Dombeyopsis sedaliensis Knowlton is recorded from the Paleocene Denver Fm of Colorado.
  • Dombeyopsis(?) sinuata Knowlton is recorded from the Maestrichtian/Palaeocene Laramie Fm of Colorado.
  • Dombeyopsis trivialis Lesquereux is recorded from the Maastrichtian Hell Creek, Lance, Laramie and Medicine Bow Fms of the Rocky Mouintain region
  • Other names that have been used are Dombeyopsis aequalifolia, Dombeyopsis affinis (leaf), Dombeyopsis hybisciflora and Dombeyopsis nebrascensis. Additionally Dombeya novi-mundi Hickey is recorded from the Eocene Golden Valley Fm of North Dakota.

    Grewiopsis

    The fossil Grewiopsis is not the same as the living Grewiopsis; the latter is a synonym of Desplatzia The fossils to which the name have been given were presumably thought to have been related to Grewia, but like much fossil material assigned to Grewia, much of this is not malvaceous.

    The name Grewiopsis dubium has also been used. I suspect that these are also not malvaceous.

  • Grewiopsis alaskana Hollick is recorded from the Paleocene of Alaska
  • Grewiopsis auriculaecordatus (Hollick) Wolfe is recorded from the Paleocene Chickaloon Fm of Alaska. (Pterospermites auriculaecordatus Hollick may be a nomenclatural synonym of this.)
  • Grewiopsis claiborniana Berry is recorded from the Eocene Yegua Fm of ...
  • Grewiopsis cleburni Lesquerux is recorded from the Campanian Mesa Verde Fm of ...
  • Grewiopsis defectivus Hollick and Grewiopsis grandiculus Hollick are recorded from the Paleocene of Alaska.
  • Grewiopsis(?) dubium Chaney and Sanborn is recorded from the Eocene Fisher Fm of ...
  • Grewiopsis elegans Berry is recorded from the Eocene Wilcox and Oligocene Passaman Fms of ...
  • Grewiopsis ellipticus Andreánszky (Sloanea elliptica (Andreánszky) Kvacek et Hably) is recorded from the Tertuary of Hungary.
  • Grewiopsis ficifolia Ward is recorded from the Maestrichtian Medicine Bow Fm of ...
  • Grewiopsis inequilateralis Berry is recorded from the Maestrichtian Ripley Fm of ...
  • Grewiopsis lindstroemianus Bud. (Ushia olafsenii (Heer) Boult. & Kvac.) is recorded from Eocene of Spitzbergen; it is fagaceous.
  • Grewiopsis mcclearni Berry is recorded from the Paleocene Ravenscrag Fm of ...
  • Grewiopsis paliurifolia Ward is recorded from the Maestrichtian Medicine Bow Fm of ...
  • Grewiopsis platanifolia Ward is recorded from the Paleocene Fort Union Fm of ...
  • Grewiopsis populifolia Ward is refcorded from the Paleocene Fort Union Fm of Montana
  • Grewiopsis pterospermoides Budantsevis recorded from the Eocene of Spitzbergen.
  • Grewiopsis ripleyensis Berry is recorded from the Maestrichtian Ripley Fm of ...
  • Grewiopsis saportana Lesquereux is recorded from the Maestrichtian Medicine Bow Fm of Wyoming and the Hell Creek Fm of ...; it has been interpreted as hamamelidaceous or platanaceous
  • Grewiopsis tennesseensis Berry and Grewiopsis wadii Berry are recorded from the Eocene Wilcox and Lagrange Fms of ...
  • Grewiopsis tenuifolia Lesquereux is recorded from the Maestrichtian Medicine Bow Fm of ... and Palaeocene Denver Fm of ...
  • Grewiopsis viburnifolia Ward is recorded from the Paleocene Fort Union Fm of ...
  • Grewiopsis wyomingensis Berry is recorded from the Eocene Aycross Fm of ...
  • Hibiscus

    Hibiscus roanensis Brown is reported from Eocene Green RiverFm of ...

    Malva

    Malva hesperia Knowlton is reported from the Miocene Latah Fm of ...

    Ochroma

    Ochroma murata Brown is reported from the Eocene Green River Fm of ...

    Penosphyllum

    Penosphyllum cordatum (aka Pterospermites cordatus) is found in the Lower Palaeocene Fort Union Fm of ...

    Pterospermites

  • Pterospermites auriculaecordatus Hollick, Pterospermites dentatus Heer and Pterospermites imparilis Hollick are recorded from the Paleocene Chickaloon Fm of Alaska.
  • Pterospermites conjunctivus Hollick is recorded from the Paleocene of Alaska.
  • Pterospermites cupanoides (Newberry) Knowlton is recorded from the Paleocene Fort Union Fm of ...
  • Pterospermites dentatus Heer is recorded from the Paleocene Chickaloon Fm of Alaska.
  • Pterospermites grandidentata Lesquereux is recorded from Paleocene Denver Fm of Colorado.
  • Pterospermites haguei Knowlton is recorded from the Eocene of Yellowstone.
  • Pterospermites indulatus Knowlton and Pterospermites wardii Knowlton are recorded from the Campanian Mesa Verde Fm of ...
  • Pterospermites integrifolius Heer is recorded from the Paleocene Atanekerdluk and Agatdal Fms of West Greenland
  • Pterospermites minor Ward is recorded from the Paleocene Ravenscrag and Fort Union Fms of ...
  • Pterospermites nervosus Knowlton is recorded from the Maestrichtian Vermejo Fm of ...
  • Pterospermites penhallowi Berry is recorded from the Paleocene Ravenscrag Fm of ...
  • Pterospermites spectabilis Heer is recorded from the Paleocene Atanekerdluk and Agatdal Fms of Disko Island, West Greenland
  • Pterospermites whitei Ward is recorded from the Paleocene Fort Union Fm of ...
  • In addition Pterospermum conforme Hollick is recorded from the Maestrichtian Chignik Fm of Alaska, and Pterospermum praeobliquum Chaney and Sanborn from the Eocene Fisher Fm of ...

    Sterculia

    Sterculia cinnamomea, Sterculia geinitzii, Sterculia grandiflora, Sterculia laurina and Sterculia limbata are reported from the Cretaceous to Miocene of Europe. (Sterculia grandiflora and Sterculia laurina are not the same as the living species of the same names). I am skeptical that these represent genuine specimens of Sterculia.

    References

    1. Kvacek et al, Early Miocene freshwater and swamp ecosystems of the Most Basin (northern Bohemia) with particular reference to the Bílina Mine section, J. Czech. Geol. Soc. 49(1-2): (2004)
    2. Saporta, Études sur La Végétation du Sud-Est de la France a :l'Êpoque Tertiaire , Ann. Sci. Nat. 4, 17: 272 (1862)
    3. Charbonnel, Essai d'une monographie géobotanique des monts du Cantal, Bull. Soc. Bot. France 60: CXXXI-CXXXIX (1913)

    Bibliography

    1. Eyde, Richard H; Fossil record and ecology of Nyssa (Cornaceae), The Botanical Review; April 1, 1997;

    Malvaceae Info (Home)
    Fossil Index

    © 2005, 2006, 2007 Stewart R. Hinsley