Morphology and palaeoenvironmental context ofFouldenia staminosa, a fossil flower with associated pollen from the Early Miocene of Otago, New Zealand

Abstract

A new genus and species, Fouldenia staminosa, are proposed for an angiosperm flower with associated pollen bearing anthers found in Early Miocene finely laminated lacustrine diatomite at Foulden Hills, Otago. This is the first New Zealand record of a Miocene flower with in situ pollen and among few such records worldwide. The pollen is closely similar to Rubipollis oblatus, of unknown affinity, known from Late Oligocene to Early Miocene strata elsewhere in New Zealand and Australia, but differs in being spheroidal to subprolate. In spite of the relatively good preservation of both the flower and its pollen it has not been possible to assign this species to an extant genus or even family. The highly diverse angiosperm pollen flora from the same bedding plane in the diatomite indicates that Fouldenia grew in a dry, warm temperate to subtropical climate.