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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 56(1)

Fossil Myrtaceae from the Early Miocene of southern New Zealand

Mike Pole A D , John Dawson B and Trish Denton C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Queensland Herbarium, Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Mt Coot-tha, Mt Coot-tha Rd, Toowong, Qld 4066, Australia.

B School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6140, New Zealand.

C School of Integrative Biology, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia.

D Corresponding author. Email: murihiku@yahoo.com

Australian Journal of Botany 56(1) 67-81 https://doi.org/10.1071/BT07032
Submitted: 21 February 2007  Accepted: 9 October 2007   Published: 7 February 2008

Abstract

Seven parataxa of Myrtaceae leaf cuticle and one associated leaf are described from Early Miocene sediments of the Manuherikia Group, Central Otago, and the Gore Lignite Measures of Southland. These include two or perhaps three species of Syzygium as well as Metrosideros, possibly the extant New Zealand M. diffusa. The most widespread species is a Syzygium, which appears to have dominated low-diversity vegetation of which the conifer Retrophyllum was also a part. Capsules of Metrosideros subgenus Mearnsia are also illustrated.


Acknowledgements

We thank the Centre for Marine Studies, and Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, University of Queensland, for their continued support, and the Queensland Herbarium, the Allan Herbarium and the Botany Department, University of Otago, for access to their collections. We also appreciate helpful comments of two anonymous reviewers.


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