Early Tertiary Podocarpaceae - Megafossils From the Eocene Anglesea Locality, Victoria, Australia

Abstract

The nomenclature of some Tertiary fossil Podocarpaceae is reviewed. Fossil Podocarpaceae from the Eocene Anglesea locality in Victoria are described and assigned to six species from five modern genera using cuticular and other vegetative morphology. Falcatifolium australis D. R. Greenwood is the first record for this genus in Australia. Dacrycarpus eocenica D. R. Greenwood, Podocarpus platyphyllum D. R. Greenwood and Prumnopitys lanceolata D. R. Greenwood are new species. Decussocarpus brownei (Selling) D. R. Greenwood and Prumnopitys aff. Pr. Tasmanica (Townrow) D. R. Greenwood have previously been recorded as megafossils from the Australian Tertiary. The diversity of Podocarpaceae recorded from Anglesea is far greater than in any modern Australian forests.