A new species of Ormosia (Leguminosae) from the middle Miocene of Fujian, Southeast China and its biogeography

• Published in: Review of palaeobotany and palynology 2019-11, Vol.270, p.40-47
• Main Authors: Wang, Zixi, Shi, Gongle, Sun, Bainian, Yin, Suxin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: biogeography; Fujian; middle Miocene; Ormosia; pod
• ISSN: 0034-6667; 1879-0615
• DOI: 10.1016/j.revpalbo.2019.07.003

The Leguminosae are the third-largest angiosperm family with crucial floristic and ecological importance in major biomes, especially in tropical rainforests. However, reliable fossils of the family are not common in East Asia, rendering a poor understanding of the diversification and biogeographic history of the Leguminosae in this region. In this paper we described a new species of Ormosia (Leguminosae: Papilionoideae) based on compressed fruits (legumes) from the middle Miocene of Fujian in southeastern China. Ormosia zhangpuensis sp. nov. is an obovate to broadly elliptical fruit with acuminate apex, and constricted, neck-like base. Each fruit contains one single seed. External cuticle of pericarp has trichome bases and randomly oriented, anomocytic stomata. The studied fossils provide a new evidence for the diversity of the Leguminosae in East Asia during the Neogene. Fossil records also indicate that Ormosia had expanded its distribution southwards, probably in response to the global climatic cooling during the Cenozoic. •A new species of Ormosia is from the Miocene of Fujian, China.•Provides a new evidence for the diversity of Leguminosae during the Neogene•Paleobiogeographic implications from Ormosia fossil record are briefly discussed.