Aspects of permian palaeobotany and palynology, VII. the majonicaceae, a new family of late permian conifers

Abstract

On the basis of rich vegetative and fertile material from the Val Gardena Formation in the Dolomites and the Vicentinian Alps, coniferous remains have been studied in detail with the aid of cuticle analysis. Except the genus Ortiseia Florin, three other natural genera can be distinguished: Majonica nov. gen, Dolomitia nov. gen. and Pseudovoltzia Florin. Within both Majonica and Dolomitia a single species is recognized, Majonica alpina nov. sp. and Dolomitia cittertiae nov. sp., respectively. Within Pseudovoltzia two species can be recognized: P. liebeana (Geinitz) Florin and P. sjerpii nov. sp.

The genera Majonica, Dolomitia and Pseudovoltzia are associated with ovuliferous fructifications and Majonica even with polliniferous cones and bisaccoid bitaeniate pollen grains.

A new family—the Majonicaceae—is proposed to include the genera Majonica, Dolomitia and Pseudovoltzia. The family is characterized by a peculiar organization of the ovuliferous dwarf-shoots, i.e. the places of ovule-attachment on the lateral fertile scales varying from explicitly laterally situated to more or less shifted to the adaxial side of the dwarf-shoot.