地质学报（英文版）2004，Vol.78Issue(4)：883-896,14.
Early Cretaceous Archaefructus eoflora sp.nov.with Bisexual Flowers from Beipiao, Western Liaoning, China
Early Cretaceous Archaefructus eoflora sp.nov.with Bisexual Flowers from Beipiao, Western Liaoning, China
摘要
Abstract
Recently, whether Archaefructus has bisexual multi-parted flowers or just inflorescences of unisexual flowers,and whether it is ancestral to all angiosperms or a derived eudicot have been debated. Here, from the same Yixian Formation, NE China, we report a new Archaefructus species, A. eoflora sp. nov., with the generic characteristics of dissected leaves and bisexual reproductive axes. It is entirely preserved with roots, rhizome, shoots and protogynous reproductive organs at different developmental stages. Its lateral and main fertile shoots form a pseudo-indeterminate pattern, while the reproductive branches on the main shoot form a cymose inflorescence. Subtended by 1-2 bract-like leaves, the section of stamen clusters changes into a much shorter section of carpels that have one row of orthotropous ovules. Significantly, one cluster bearing two carpels and one stamen between the two sections demonstrates a true bisexual flower, an important step of the origin of floral bisexuality, and the homology between the stamen and carpel. The complex reproductive axes represent a mix between flowers and inflorescences, and suggest that A. eoflora sp. nov.possesses the potential to evolve into a variety of diverse flower types as found in modem basal and early fossil angiosperms. A comparison with other two species also leads to a revision of the generic diagnosis.关键词
Archaefructus eoflora/bisexual flower/fossil angiosperm/orthotropous ovules/plant evolution/protogynous development/Lower Cretaceous/Yixian FormationKey words
Archaefructus eoflora/bisexual flower/fossil angiosperm/orthotropous ovules/plant evolution/protogynous development/Lower Cretaceous/Yixian Formation引用本文复制引用
JI Qiang,LI Hongqi,L. Michelle BOWE,LIU Yusheng,David Winship TAYLOR..Early Cretaceous Archaefructus eoflora sp.nov.with Bisexual Flowers from Beipiao, Western Liaoning, China[J].地质学报（英文版）,2004,78(4):883-896,14.基金项目
This research was partially supported with PRF #38411-GB8 and the Faculty Development Grant of Frostburg State University to Hongqi Li and faculty set-up funds from the Southwest Missouri State University to Michelle Bowe. （）
