Echinate fossil pollen of Asteraceae from the Late Oligocene of Patagonia: an assessment of its botanical affinity

Abstract

The Late Oligocene Mutisiapollis telleriae, which is the oldest echinate fossil pollen of Asteraceae from Patagonia, was tentatively related to the subfamily Mutisioideae. A detailed comparison of M. telleriae with extant asteraceous pollen indicates strong similarities with both Mutisioideae (in particular the Gongylolepis type) and Carduoideae (some genera of Carduinae) subfamilies. This morphotype, as an example of the exceptional diversity of fossil pollen of Asteraceae found in Patagonia, contributes to the knowledge of the early history of the family.

Appendices

Appendix 1

Distribution of echinate and microechinate sculpture within the subfamily Mutisioideae from Tellería (2008) and Katinas et al. (2008). In bold: genera belonging to Guayana Highland-centered genera.

ECHINATE: Achnopogon, Actinoseris, Cnicothamnus, Duidaea, Eurydochus, Glossarion, Gongylolepis, Macroclinidium, Quelchia, Salcedoa, Wunderlichia .

MICROECHINATE: Adenocaulon, Ainsliaea, Aphyllocladus, Brachyclados, Chaetanthera, Chaptalia, Chucoa, Cyclolepis, Dinoseris, Eriachaenium, Gerbera, Gypothamnium, Hecastocleis, Hyalis, Hyaloseris, Ianthopappus, Leibnitzia, Lycoseris, Mutisia, Myripnois, Neblinaea, Onoseris, Pachylaena, Perdicium, Pertya, Plazia, Trichocline, Urmenetea. Chimantaea , Stenopadus , Stomatochaeta , Stifftia. All the members of the tribe Nassauvieae.

ECHINATE AND MICROECHINATE: Gochnatia.

Appendix 2

Spine pattern arrangement in subfamily Carduoideae based on SEM images from Tormo Molina & Ubera Jiménez (1995)⁽¹⁾, Petit et al. (1996)⁽²⁾, and Punt & Hoen (2009)⁽³⁾.

Even pattern: Atractylis cancellata type⁽¹⁾: Atractylis cancellata. Carduncellus type⁽¹⁾: C. cuatrecasasii, Carthamus arborescens. Carduus type⁽¹⁾: Cirsium nigrescens, C. oleraceum. Centaurea type⁽¹⁾: Centaurea linaresii, C. alpina. Cyanopsis type⁽¹⁾: Serratula muricata. Galactites type⁽¹⁾: Galactites tomentosa, G. duriaei. Mantisalca type⁽¹⁾: Mantisalca salmantica. Notobasis type⁽¹⁾: Silybum eburneum. Onopordum type⁽¹⁾: Onopordon acanthium. Ptilostemon type⁽¹⁾: Ptilostemon hispanicum. Xeranthemum type⁽¹⁾: Xeranthemum cylindraceum. Carduus crispus type⁽³⁾, Cirsium eriophorum type^{(2, 3)}, Cirsium palustre type⁽³⁾

Uneven pattern: Arctium type⁽¹⁾: Leucea rhaponthicoides, Jurinea humilis, J. pinnata. Cynara type⁽¹⁾: Cynara tournefortii, C. humilis. Serratula type⁽¹⁾: Serratula baetica. Centaurea nigra type⁽³⁾, Centaurea nemoralis type⁽³⁾: Acantholepis orientalis ⁽²⁾, Arctium lappa ⁽²⁾, Chardinia orientalis ⁽²⁾, Cousinia pseudomollis ⁽²⁾, Cardiopatium corymbosum ⁽²⁾, Echinops ritro ⁽²⁾, Jurinea humilis ⁽²⁾, Leuzea conifera ⁽²⁾, Saussurea alpina ⁽²⁾, Serratula tinctoria ⁽²⁾, Siebera pungens ⁽²⁾, Staehelina dubia ⁽²⁾, Xeranthemum modestum ⁽²⁾