Florissantia sp.: A fossil flower from the Early Eocene of Rajasthan.

The Malvaceae first appeared in the Cretaceous in North America, and have achieved a global distribution today, most notably as a significant component of almost all tropical forests. The genus Florissantia shows a number of features associated with different extant subfamilies of the Malvaceae, and is known from the Middle Eocene till the Miocene of western North America, with specimens known from British Colombia, Colorado, Montana, Oregon, and Washington, as well as a single specimen being known from the Sikhote Alin mountains of the Russian Far East.

In a paper published in the journal Botany Letters on 21 October 2024, Ashif Ali and Mahasin Ali Khan of the Palaeobotany, Palynology, and Plant Evolution Laboratory at Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University, and Raman Patel and Rajendra Singh Rana of the Department of Geology at Rauthan Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University, describe a specimen of Florissantia from the Early Eocene Palana Formation of Rajasthan, India.

The specimen comes from the Laminate Maroon Shale Bed of the Palana Formation, which is exposed at the Gurha Open-cast Lignite Mine at Bikaner in northwest Rajasthan. It is preserved as part and counterpart on a piece of a piece of split- laminated shale, which has been further exposed by micro excavation of successive layers of the rock with fine needles under a dissection microscope. 

(a) Map of Rajasthan showing the location of the Gurha opencast lignite mine (red star) Bikaner Rajasthan, India; (b) view of the fossil locality. Ali et al. (2024).

The preserved fossil is a star-shaped flower about 13 mm in diameter (sgnificantly smaller than any other member of the genus), with a calyx made up of five fused and rounded sepals of roughly equal length; the petals are missing. Importantly, the sepals each show numerous prominent veins, the pattern of which is used by Ali et al. as a diagnostic tool to place the specimen in the genus Florissantia.

(a) Transversely impressed, radially symmetric, pentamerous fossil flower of Florissantia sp. (SKBU/PPL/R/F/01A, part); (b) magnified image of the specimen showing thick filaments (marked by red arrows) surrounding the compressed, carbonaceous central area; (c) enlarged view of a single calyx lobe showing prominent parallel (marked by blue arrows) and radiating reticulate (marked by white arrows) venation; (d) counterpart of fossil flower of Florissantia sp. (SKBU/PPL/R/F/01B); (e) central area of figured in higher magnification; (f) line drawing of (c) showing parallel (marked by blue arrows) and reticulate (marked by red arrows) venation, Scale bars are 2.5 mm for (a), (b), (d), and (e) and 500 μm for (c) and (f). Ali et al. (2024).

The Palana Formation of Rajasthan has been dated to between about 55 and 52 million years before the present on the basis of palynological data (fossil pollen). This Early Eocene date makes the Bikanar specimen the oldest representative of the genus Florissantia, which together with its unexpected location, potentially makes the specimen highly significant. 

Line drawings of the Bikanar specimen and earlier reported extinct fossil flower species: (a) Bikanar fossil flower of Florissantia sp.; (b )fossil flower of Florissantia ashwillii from the Oligocene of Oregon; (c) fossil flower of Chaneya membranosa from the Miocene of Poland; this appears similar to Florissantia spp, but has unequal sepals. Scale bars are 5 mm. Ali et al. (2024).

The Palana Formation was laid down on the shores of an ancient lake, which is consistent with other locations where members of the genus Florissantia have been found. Other members of the genus are known from lake-associated Floras in tropical, subtropical, and temperate environments, often with some volcanic input; although the presence of volcanic ashes helps to preserve fine structures such as flowers, so it is possible that this connection with volcanic input reflects preservation bias rather than an environmental preference of the living plants.

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Durio gerikensis: A new species of Durian from Perak State, Peninsula Malaysia.

Durians, Durio spp., are forest trees from Southeast Asia, noted for the remarkable fruits of some species, which are large and conspicuous, and share the unfortunate combination of a very pleasent taste and a very unpleasant smell, which often makes fruit aficionados very unpopular. Although the fruit of these trees is what makes them famous, only a few species produce an edible fruit, with the majority either producing fruit that are completely unpalatable, or that produce 'arilless' fruit, which lack any form of edible flesh, resembling the husks of Horse Chestnuts.

In a paper published in the journal Phytotaxa on 8 April 2022, Mohd Norfaizal Ghazalli of the Resource Utilisation and Agrobiodiversity Conservation Programme at the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute, Mohamad Hadrul Hashim of Digital Dome Photography, Muhammad Ikhwanuddin Mat-Esa of the Department of Biology at the Universiti Putra Malaysia, Ahmad Zaki Zaini of the Electron Microscopy Unit at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Mohd Masri Saranum of the Biological Control Programme at the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute, Salmaniza Salleh, Rosliza Jajuli, and Muhammad Shafie Md Sah, also of the Resource Utilisation and Agrobiodiversity Conservation Programme at the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute, and Noraini Talip and A Latiff of the Department of Biology and Biotechnology at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, describe a new species of arilless Durian from Parak State, Peninsula Malaysia.

The new species is named Durio gerikensis, meaning 'from Gerik' in reference to the township of Gerik, in Hula Perak District, close to which the first specimen of the new species was found. This tree was initially identified as a specimen of Durio singaporensis, due to its arilless fruit, but when collected samples of these fruit were compared to specimens in the collections of the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute and Forest Research Institute Malaysia, they were found to be different. Upon returning to the site, the tree was found to have produced red flowers, something not previously seen in combination with an arilless fruit in Malaysia, leading Ghazalli et al. to conclude that it represented a new species.

 

Durio gerikensis. (A) Tree (habit) at the type locality. (B) Branching pattern. (C) Leaves. (D) Bark. (E) Abaxial surface of the leaves. (F) Adaxial surface of the leaves. Mohd Masri Saranum & Mohd Norfaizal Ghazalli in Ghazalli et al. (2022).

Durio gerikensis is a forest tree reaching about 40 m in height, with a main trunk about 2.5-3.4 m heigh and 1.7-2.3 m in diameter, and an approximately oval canopy made up of medium to dense semi-erect branches. The leaves are oblong to lance-shaped, 9.3-11.6 cm long and 2.7–4.1 cm wide, with an upper side leathery and dark green while the underside is hairy and golden-green. Flowers are arranged in globular clusters with pinkish-red petals and prominent stamens. Fruit are dry, globose, and measure 6.1–7.5 × 5.2–6.1 cm, each producing a single large seed.

 

Durio gerikensis. (A) Fruiting leafy twig. (B) Different fruit stages, and arilless seeds. (C) Arilless seeds (close up). (D) Dehisced fruits with three lobes (left) and one lobe (right). (E) Immature fruit. (F) Mature and dehisced fruit with persistent calyx. Mohd Norfaizal Ghazalli in Ghazalli et al. (2022).

So far, Durio gerikensis has only been found growing in two locations, Gerik and the nearby town of Lenggong, despite an extensive search. Ghazalli et al. were able to cultivate another 20 young plants from seeds at the herberia of the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute, but given the known vulnerability of the mixed Dipterocarp forest in which it grows, and the fact that both known wild Plants are close to growing settlements, they recommend that the species be treated as Critically Endangered under the terms of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species. 

 

Durio gerikensis. (A) Inflorescence young flower buds. (B) Inflorescences flower buds on branches. (C) inflorescences on branch. (D) Flowers in fasciculate cymes. (E) Epicalyx. (F) Opened epicalyx. (G) Calyx. (H) Calyx adaxial view. (I) Stamens in 5 phalanges. (J) Petals. (K)–(L) Pistil (ovary, style and stigma) and pedicel. (N) Full part of the pistil and pedicel. (O) Portion of style and stigma at the end of style. (P) Ovary. (Q) Phalanges of stamens. (R) Close up of stamens. (S) Dehisced anthers. Mohd Norfaizal Ghazalli & Edward Entalai Besi in Ghazalli et al. (2022).

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Vatica najibiana: A new species of Dipterocarp from Peninsula Malaysia.

Dipterocarps are tropical forest trees in the Mallow Family, Malvales, found predominantly in Southeast Asia, where they often form the dominant part of the flora, as well as in South Asia and Africa, and, to a lesser extent South America. The name Diptrerocarp means 'winged fruit', the distinguishing feature of these trees, nuts with distinctive 'wings' which enable them to glide long distances after being shed, aiding distribution of the trees, Members of the genus Vatica are small-to-medium sized trees with smooth bark and leaves found in Southeast Asia.

In a paper published in the journal PhytoKeys on 10 May 2018, Abdul Rahman Ummul-Nazrah, Mohd Amin Mohd Hairul, Imin Kamin, Ruth Kiew and Poh Teck Ong of the Forest Research Institute Malaysia, describe a new species of Vatica from Kelantan and Pahang states in Peninsula Malaysia.

The new species is named Vatica najibiana, in honour of the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak, for his interest in nature conservation and protection of the environment. It is a small tree, reaching 5-7 m in height, with a bole width of 15-17 cm. The trunk is a smooth dark brown with faint horizontal bands, and large patches of white Lichen. The leaves are elliptical to lance shaped, and the nuts 7-10 mm in diameter.

Vatica najibiana. (A) Plant in its natural habitat. (B) Bole. (C) Inner bark. (D)–(E) Leafy shoots with infructescences (F) Fruit. Imin Kamin & Abdul Rahman Ummul-Nazrah in Ummul-Nazrah et al. (2018).

Vatica najibiana was found at only two locations, one in the Relai Forest Reserve in Gua Musang District, Kelantan State, and one near Merapoh in Gua Tanggang District, Pahang State, both on the summit of isolated karst limestone hills, and about 40 km apart. The total known habitat of the trees covers less than 10 km², with the Gua Tanggang location having no protection, and the Relai Forest Reserve location, while in theory protected, is considered to be threatened by encroachment by oil palm plantations, which are often expanded by burning other vegetation. For this reason the species is considered to be Endangered under the terms of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species.

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Brownlowia latifiana: A new species of Mallow from Terengganu State, Peninsular Malaysia.

The genus Brownlowia comprises about 25 species of semi-aquatic trees found along rivers, in swamp forest and mangroves across South and Southeast Asia, with floating fruit which are dispersed by water. Like many mangrove dwelling plants in these areas, many Brownlowia species are threatened by coastal development and rising sea levels.

In a paper published in the journal Phytotaxa on 10 March 2017, Richard Chung and Engkik Soepadmo of the Forest Research Institute Malaysia describe a new species of Brownlowia from the Jerangau Forest Reserve in Terengganu State, Peninsular Malaysia.

The new species is named Brownlowia latifiana, where 'latifiana' in honour of Abd. Latif bin Mohmod, for his efforts on behalf of the Project of Safeguarding the Forest Plant Diversity of Peninsular Malaysia. The species forms small trees reaching about 15 m in height, with grey bark and yellowish brown flowers.

Brownlowia latifiana. (A) Flowering leafy twigs. (B) Fruiting leafy twigs. (C) Inflorescence with young flower buds (left and centre), opened flower (centre) and mature flower bud (right). (D) Inflorescence with opened flowers and mature flower buds. (E) & (F) Infructescences with young fruits. Chung & Soepadmo (2017).

The species is known only from two sites within the buffer zone of the Jerangau Forest Reserve (that is to say the area around the protected area of the reserve in which some activities are banned but the forests are not fully protected), grpwing at altitudes of 65 m and 95 m in undulating and riverine areas of lowland Dipterocarp forest on clay sandy and alluvial soils. One of these areas has been logged since the area was surveyed, and the other is surrounded by Rubber plantations. For this reason Chung and Soepadmo recomend that the species be classified as Critically Endangered under the terms of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species.

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