Two new species of Symplocos based on endocarps from the early Miocene Brandon Lignite of Vermont, USA

Abstract

Abstract We describe two new species of Symplocos (Symplocaceae) from the early Miocene Brandon Lignite Flora of Vermont, USA. The endocarps of Symplocos laevigata (Lesq.) comb. nov. are most similar in morphology and anatomy to those of the extant species S. tinctoria of southeastern North America and S. wikstroemiifolia of eastern Asia, both of S. sect. Hopea, and to those of several species of S. sect. Lodhra, endemic to eastern Asia; they are also somewhat similar to those of S. minutula of the Tertiary of Europe. The endocarps of Symplocos hitchcockii sp. nov. are most similar in morphology and anatomy to those of living members of S. sect. Lodhra, and are also somewhat similar to fossil S. incurva of the Tertiary of Europe. This report extends the fossil record of Symplocos endocarps to eastern North America and underscores the mixed mesophytic to subtropical nature of the Brandon flora.