1REMBER, WILLIAM C.*, ANGELIKA 2OTTO, AND BERND R. T. 2SIMONEIT. 1Department of Geology,Univesity of Idaho, Moscow ID 83844 , 2College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis OR 97331. - Morphology of Cunninghamia chaneyi from the Middle Miocene Clarkia flora northern Idaho.
The occurrence of Cunninghamia chaneyi from the middle Miocene
sediments of the former Lake Clarkia in Northern Idaho is the last
known occurrence of this genus in the geologic record of North
America. Cunninghamia chaneyi has been reported on the basis
of foliar branches from the Oligocene Rujada, Lyons and Bridgecreek
floras of Oregon and the Oligocene Gumboot flora of southwestern
Washington. These resemble the extant C. lanceolata. The
C. marquettii from the Haynes Creek flora of east central Idaho
more closely resembles C. konishii. Both C.
protokonishii from the middle Miocene of Japan and C.
europaea from the later Miocene of Poland also resemble C.
konishii. The C. miocenica that has been described from
the Oligocene and Miocene of central Europe is thought to be
intermediate between the two extant species. The Clarkia
Cunninghamia chaneyi is represented at four localities by well
preserved compressions and impressions of foliar branches, rarely
single needles, seed cones and pollen cone fascicles. The foliar
branches are similar to those found beneath arboretum trees of C.
lanceolata. The needles are slightly smaller in both width and
length than those of the extant species. The size of the cones and
cone fascicles of the fossils is identical to that of the extant C.
lanceolata. However the shape of the cone bracts, the reduced cone
scales and the seed attachment scars are some what different from that
of the extant species. Most significantly, stomatal bands on the
fossil species are half as wide as those on the extant species. The
excellent preservation allowed analysis of extractable chemical
compounds from foliar branches and cones of Cunninghamia
chaneyi from Clarkia. Several mono-, sesqui- and diterpenoids have
been identified in the extracts. The sesquiterpenoid pattern is
similar to that described from the resin of C. miocenica from
Central Europe.
Key words: Cunninghamia chaneyi, fossil, Idaho, Miocene, Taxodiaceae