Keywords

conifer wood, Colorado Plateau, Utah

Abstract

A new species of conifer wood, Xenoxylon morrisonense, is described from the Morrison Formation on the Colorado Plateau. It is compared with other species of Xenoxylon, with X. latiporosum being the closest. Xenoxylon morrisonense differs from X. latiporosum in its marked indentations, simple pits on the horizontal and tangential walls of ray cells, absence of crassulae, presence of wood parenchyma, and thin borders on podocarpoid type crossfield pits. The origin of the septa in the tracheids is summarized, and the possible affinity of Xenoxylon with the Podocarpaceae is considered.

Original Publication Citation

Conifer wood from the Upper Jurassic of Utah I, Xenoxylon morrisonense sp. nov. David A. Medlyn and William D. Tidwell American Journal of Botany (February 1975), 62(2):23-28