The most ancient member of the Sequoioideae - the new genus Krassilovidendron Sokolova, Gordenko et Zavialova (Cupressaceae s.l.) from the Albian-Cenomanian of Western Siberia (Russia)

The new genus Krassilovidendron Sokolova, Gordenko et Zavialova with the type species Krassilovidendron fecundum Sokolova, Gordenko et Zavialova is described on the basis of numerous compressions of polymorphic shoots in organic connection with seed and pollen cones from the Albian-Cenomanian of the Kubaevo locality (Russian Federation, Kemerovo region, Western Siberia). The new taxon is characterized by an assemblage of features that distinguishes it from all known extant and fossil conifer genera: shoots with helically arranged leaves varying from amphistomatic small scale-like leaves to strictly epistomatic linear-lanceolate leaves; terminal, ellipsoidal to obovate seed cones, bearing 14-26 helically arranged peltate bract-scale complexes (bract and ovuliferous scale are completely fused) with a cylindrical vascular bundle, bifurcating into abaxial and adaxial dichotomizing bundles; up to 22 inverted seeds of various shapes with a protruding micropyle and inconspicuous lateral wings, which are arranged in two to five arcuate rows; solitary terminal pollen cones with helically arranged microsporophylls, each bearing four abaxial microsporangia; and small pollen grains with a relatively short papilla, numerous orbicules on the surface, and a three-layered ectexine with a tectum of strongly fused granules, an infratectum of smaller and more loosely arranged granules, and a thin footlayer. The new taxon possesses a combination of characters indicating it belongs to the subfamily Sequoioideae. Krassilovidendron shares the greatest number of features with Sequoia Endlicher and Sequoiadendron Buchholz, and fewer characters with Metasequoia Miki ex Hu et W.C. Cheng.