J Syst Evol ›› 2015, Vol. 53 ›› Issue (3): 252-258.DOI: 10.1111/jse.12136

• Research Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Samaras of Ventilago (Rhamnaceae) from the upper Miocene of Lincang, Yunnan, China and their phytogeographic implications

Ke-Nan Liu1, San-Ping Xie1*, Steven R. Manchester2, Yun-Feng Wang1, Yang Shao1, and Bin-Ke Li1   

  1. 1School of Earth Sciences and Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources in Western China (Gansu Province), Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
    2Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
  • Received:2014-04-12 Published:2015-01-30

Abstract: The genus Ventilago Gaertn. usually occurs in hot, dry, and low-altitude tropical environments. The fossil record of this genus is meager, so its origin and geographic history are still poorly understood. We describe a fossil winged fruit species—Ventilago lincangensis K. N. Liu & S. P. Xie sp. nov. from the upper Miocene Bangmai Formation of Lincang city, Yunnan Province, China. The fossil conforms to the modern genus Ventilago in architecture of the prominent fruit wing including a prominent midvein, a set of minor longitudinally secondary veins extending the full length of the fruit and reticulate higher order venation. The elliptical fruit body at the base of the wing shows an equatorial rim and has a short pedicel. This is the first report of Ventilago fruits in China, and is significant for the investigation of the origin and evolutionary history of this genus.

Key words: Lincang, Miocene, phytogeography, samara, Ventilago.