Taxonomy and palaeoecology of the Early Jurassic macroflora from Odrowąż, central Poland

Abstract

The locality of Odrowąż is an Early Jurassic section in central Poland, with a taxonomically relatively poor flora. The available material is composed of both macro- and microremains. The macroremains, represented by 720 specimens (491 suitable for study), consist mainly of leaves, shoots, rhizomes, as well as male and female cones and fragments of other fructifications. sphenophytes, teridophytes, pteridosperms, bennettites, cycads, ginkgophytes, conifers are represented by single taxa, only ferns are more diverse. The material is dominated by the conifer Hirmeriella muensteri (schenk) Jung and the benettite Pterophyllum alinae Barbacka sp. nov. Taxonomically, the ferns are the most diverse group (five species belonging to five genera). Most of the plants show adaptations to wet conditions, which corresponds well to the proposed sedimentary environment, a river plain. The complete material shows, however, that the floral remains originated from a wider area situated along the river and on its banks. One new genus, Odrolepis, three new species, Odrolepis liassica, Pterophyllum alinae, Paracycas minuta, and one new forma, Todites princeps, forma trilobata, are described. some forms are left in open nomenclature.