Amentotaxus Pilger from the European Tertiary

The morphology and anatomy of fossil leaves of Amentotaxus Pilger (Taxaceae) have been investigated with the help of a variety of techniques (cuticular analysis, cellulose acetate pulls, silicone rubber casts and scanning electron microscopy). The genus was present in Europe from the Palaeocene to the Upper Miocene in the form of a single species, which must be referred to as Amentotaxus gladifolia (Ludwig) Ferguson, Jähnichen & Alvin comb. nov. The Tertiary assemblages with Amentotaxus indicate its adaptation to a variety of forest formations. Amentotaxus had a preference for mesophytic forests sometimes with xerophytic elements, subtropical rain‐ and laurel forests and warm‐temperate deciduous woods. Similar forest formations such as the Evergreen Broad‐Leaved Forest Formation (EBFF) and the Mixed Mesophytic Forest Formation (MMFF) are discussed. Comparative studies using a considerable amount of herbarium material suggest a number of evolutionary trends within the genus.