Revisions to the Eocene carpoflora of Anjou, western France, with new data from X-ray tomography

Selected fruits and seeds preserved as molds and casts in sediments from the Anjou flora of Maine-et-Loire have been reexamined with the aid of X-ray tomography. Virtual casts and surface renderings from micro-CT scanning data reveal external and internal morphological characters that were not visible by standard reflected light microscopy. Application of this methodology leads to a revision of the fruit formerly treated as Juglandicarya. It is a 5-valved capsule of likely sapindalean affinity, and is placed in Vaudoisia gruetii (Vaudois-Mieja) gen. et. comb. nov. A seed with the characteristic rumination of Anonaspermum is also recognized for the first time, as are capsular fruits of Ericaceae. We note that many disseminules are hidden from optical viewing because they are buried within the hand samples. A more extensive micro-CT scan investigation of more samples, including those showing only fossil leaf impressions at the surface, may be expected to yield a wealth of new information on this classic flora.

Automated summary

Reexamination of selected fruits and seeds from the Anjou flora of Maine-et-Loire using X-ray tomography revealed previously unseen morphological characters, leading to the revision of the classification of certain plant species. This methodology offers important insights into the hidden disseminules within hand samples. Additional micro-CT scan investigations are expected to yield new information on this classic flora, especially for samples showing only fossil leaf impressions at the surface.