Canrightiopsis crassitesta E. M. FRIIS, G. W. GRIMM, M. M. MENDES et K. R. PEDERSEN 2015
Creators: name: Friis, Else Marie
name: Crane, Peter R.
name: Pedersen, Kaj Raunsgaard
name: Mendes, Mário Miguel
name: Kvaček, Jiří
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Magnoliopsida
Chloranthales
Chloranthaceae
Canrightiopsis
Canrightiopsis crassitesta

description: Canrightiopsis crassitesta E.M.FRIIS, G.W.GRIMM, M.M.MENDES et K.R.PEDERSEN, 2015
Text-fig. 6a–c, g, h
Description and remarks. Canrightiopsis crassitesta was established based on fruits, seeds and adhering pollen from the Catefica mesofossil flora (Friis et al. 2015a). The fruits are elliptical to spherical in outline and are interpreted as berries with a single seed (Text-fig. 6a, b). They are derived from bisexual flowers and remains of a hypanthium, as well as scars from stamens, are present on the probable abaxial face of the fruit, about one third to two thirds of the distance from the base (Text-fig. 6a, d). The seeds are orthotropous, pendent and endotestal with a distinct, thick and finely crystalliferous endotesta (Textfig. 6b, c). The outer surface of endotesta is characterized by relatively large pits arranged in longitudinal rows that are also visible where the fruit wall is compressed or poorly preserved (Text-fig. 6a). The tegmen is three cell layers thick. In some specimens, remains of an endothelium are seen as slightly elongated cells, but the distinct endothelium seen in other species of Canrightiopsis has not been observed. Pollen grains attached to the fruits are similar to dispersed pollen assigned to the extinct pollen genus Clavatipollenites COUPER (Text-fig. 6g, h). Grains are 12–14 µm in equatorial diameter, monocolpate, semitectate-reticulate with a long, extended colpus with an irregular margin. The reticulum is composed of narrow, beaded muri supported by long, scattered columellae (Text-fig. 6g, h). The embryo is minute and surrounded by a nutritive tissue of thin-walled, isodiametric cells (Text-fig. 6b, c).
Affinity and other occurrences. Analysis of the phylogenetic relationships of Canrightiopsis placed the genus in the Chloranthaceae as part of the Ascarina J.R.FORST. et G.FORST. - Sarcandra GARDNER- Chloranthus SW. clade, particularly close to Sarcandra and Chloranthus (Friis et al. 2015a), a result also supported by a subsequent analysis (Doyle and Endress 2018).
Fruits and seeds of Canrightiopsis are common in Early Cretaceous mesofossil floras from Portugal. In addition to C. crassitesta, two other species have been recognized including C. intermedia and C. dinisii E.M.FRIIS, G.W.GRIMM, M.M.MENDES et K.R.PEDERSEN. Only C. crassitesta and C. intermedia are present in the Catefica mesofossil flora. C. crassitesta is distinguished from C. intermedia by its much thicker endotesta, but the two species are similar in fruit morphology and without internal details, the fossils are difficult to separate. All Canrightiopsis specimens from Catefica studied using SEM are typical C. crassitesta, while only one specimen is a distinct C. intermedia. Other specimens from Catefica for which internal features are unknown are referred to as Canrightiopsis sp. (Friis et al. 2015a).
Fruits and seeds of Canrightiopsis are particularly common in the mesofossil flora from Famalicão, but are also reported from the Arazede, Buarcos, Chicalhão, Vale de Água and Vila Verde mesofossil floras (Friis et al. 2015a). Currently C. crassitesta is reported only from the Catefica mesofossil flora.
Pollen grains found on fruits of Canrightiopsis crassitesta are similar in size and general morphology to those found in situ in isolated stamens and inflorescence fragments from Catefica with Clavatipollenites -type pollen (Text-figs 10– 13, Tab. 1), but the reticulum of the pollen associated with Canrightiopsis crassitesta is more open and the grains are smaller.
description: Published as part of Friis, Else Marie, Crane, Peter R., Pedersen, Kaj Raunsgaard, Mendes, Mário Miguel & Kvaček, Jiří, 2022, The Early Cretaceous Mesofossil Flora Of Catefica, Portugal: Angiosperms, pp. 341-424 in Fossil Imprint 78 (2) on page 349, DOI: 10.37520/fi.2022.016, http://zenodo.org/record/7522801