New fossil woods of Proteaceae from the Oligocene of southern Patagonia

The scarce fossil wood record of Proteaceae is complemented with the addition of a new morphogenus with two new species from the Oligocene of Patagonia, Scalarixylon patagonicum, gen. nov., sp. nov., and S. grandiradiatum, gen. nov., sp. nov. They become the first two fossil species that have all the typical characteristics of Proteaceae wood anatomy: wide multiseriate rays, tangential bands of vessels with unilateral banded associated parenchyma and simple perforation plates. They seem to be related to extant species that inhabit the subantarctic forests of Patagonia.