Palynology of Waikato Coal Measures (Late Eocene—Late Oligocene) from the Raglan area, North Island, New Zealand

Abstract

Spore-pollen assemblages from Waikato Coal Measures in the Kawhia—Raglan region, North Island, indicate that the coal measures, which rest on basement, are time transgressive and young to the southwest. The climate was predominantly cool to warm temperate, in accord with other climatic reconstructions for the Late Eocene-Late Oligocene period elsewhere in New Zealand, with brassi beech being the dominant component in the forests of the region. One new genus, Gemmapollis, is erected to accommodate tricolporate pollen with thickened colpi margins and gemmate/verrucate surface sculpture. Five new species are described. These are Monosulcites subverrucatus, Gemmapollis raglanensis, Rhoipites aequatorius, R. karamuensis, and Sparsipollis acuminatus. One species, Polypodiaceoisporites papuanus (Khan), has been recombined, a revised description is given for Nothofagidites waipawaensis (Couper), and a new name is proposed for Rhoipites pilatus (Couper). The following taxa are recorded and/or illustrated from New Zealand for the first time—Polypodiaceoisporites papuanus (Khan), Tricolpites discus Harris, Cupanieidites reticularis Cookson & Pike, Santalumidites cainozoicus Cookson & Pike, and Corsinipollenites oculus noctis (Thiergart).