Palaeoxylotomical studies in the Cenozoic petrified forests of Greece. Part one – palms.

Abstract

The paper reports a palaeoxylotomical study of petrified palm remains (stem, root, rachis) collected from some fossil sites of Greece (Evros, Lemnos, Lesbos and Kastoria) aged to the late Oligocene to early Miocene. Five species of Palmoxylon were identified: P. daemonoropsoides (Unger) Kirchheimer, corr., P. chamaeropsoides Iamandei et Iamandei, sp. nov., P. coryphoides Ambwani et Mehrotra, P. sabaloides Greguss, P. trachycarpoides Iamandei et Iamandei, sp. nov. and P. phoenicoides Hofmann. Also found were two species of Rhizopalmoxylon (R. daemonoropsoides Iamandei et Iamandei, sp. nov., R. phoenicoides Iamandei et Iamandei, sp. nov.) and Palmocaulon sp. aff. Phoenix L. These new identifications add new elements to the forest assemblages of the Oligocene–Miocene Greek flora, useful for understanding the evolution of the Cenozoic palaeoclimate in the Aegean area.

Keywords

• palmoxylon
• rhizopalmoxylon
• palmocaulon
• fibrovascular bundles
• petrified forest
• evros
• lemnos
• lesbos