Podocarpoxylon Gothan reviewed in the light of a new species from the Eocene of Patagonia

Abstract

A new species of Podocarpoxylon Gothan is described based on samples collected from sediments of the Río Turbio Formation. The fossil-bearing strata are lower Eocene (47–46 Mya) according to recent geochronological ages. The new species has indistinct growth ring boundaries, abundant and frequently tangentially zonate axial parenchyma, uniseriate pitting on radial walls, one half-bordered pit (= oculipore) with reduced borders and vertical aperture inclination per cross-field and medium height uniseriate rays. The new material is compared with all fossil-species of Podocarpoxylon and an inventory of all Podocarpoxylon species previously described is provided. Cross-field characters of the new species indicate affinity to the Podocarpaceae. The presence of Podocarpaceae wood augments other evidence of this family from the same stratigraphic unit.