Microvictoria
| Microvictoria | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  (disputed) | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Order: | Nymphaeales |
| Family: | Nymphaeaceae |
| Genus: | †Microvictoria Nixon, Gandolfo & Crepet[1] |
| Species: | †M. svitkoana
|
| Binomial name | |
| †Microvictoria svitkoana Nixon, Gandolfo & Crepet[1]
| |
Microvictoria svitkoana is a fossil species of aquatic plant, which occurred in the Cretaceous period of New Jersey, USA.[1]
Description
[edit]Generative characteristics
[edit]The pedunculate, actinomorphic flowers are 2.3-3.4 mm long, and 1.2-1.6 mm wide. The peduncle is 0.4-1.8 mm long. Both staminoids and fertile stamens are present.[1]
Taxonomy
[edit]Publication
[edit]It was published by Maria Alejandra Gandolfo, Kevin C. Nixon, and William L. Crepet in 2004.[1]
Type specimen
[edit]The type specimen was collected in the Old Crossman Clay Pit, Sayreville, New Jersey, USA.[1]
Position within Nymphaeales
[edit]It is placed in the family Nymphaeaceae.[1] This placement has been questioned by different authors, who believe it may be placed outside of the order Nymphaeales.[2][3] It has been proposed to include it in a newly described family Microvictoriaceae Doweld with a possible affinity to the order Illiciales.[4]
Etymology
[edit]The generic name Microvictoria expresses an affinity to the extant genus Victoria. The specific epithet svitkoana honours Jennifer L. Svitko,[1] a lab technician of the Cornell University.[5][6]
Ecology
[edit]Pollination
[edit]It was pollinated by insects.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i Gandolfo, M. A., Nixon, K. C., & Crepet, W. L. (2004). "Cretaceous flowers of Nymphaeaceae and implications for complex insect entrapment pollination mechanisms in early angiosperms." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 101(21), 8056-8060.
- ^ Friis, E. M., Crane, P. R., & Pedersen, K. R. (2011). "Early Flowers and angiosperm evolution." p. 204. Cambridge University Press.
- ^ Löhne, C. (2006). "Molecular Phylogenetics and Historical Biogeography of Basal Angiosperms – A Case Study in Nymphaeales" [Dissertation, Rheinischen Friedrich–Wilhelms–Universität Bonn].
- ^ Doweld A.B. 2022. New names of fossil Nymphaeaceae and allied forms. Geophytology 52(1&2): 1–28.
- ^ Jennifer Svitko. (n.d.). Cornell CALS. Retrieved February 6, 2024, from https://cals.cornell.edu/jennifer-svitko
- ^ Lab members. (n.d.). Cornell University. Retrieved February 6, 2024, from http://bhort.bh.cornell.edu/histology/memb.html
- ^ Angiosperm Pollination. (2021, August 24). Digital Atlas of Ancient Life. Retrieved February 6, 2024, from https://www.digitalatlasofancientlife.org/learn/embryophytes/angiosperms/angiosperm_pollination/