Novaolindia dubia gen. et sp. nov., an enigmatic seed plant from the Early Cretaceous of northern Gondwana

Sterile and fertile shoots of a seed plant from the Late Aptian Crato Formation of Brazil are described as Novaolindia dubia Kunzmann, Mohr and Bernardes-de-Oliveira, gen. et sp. nov. These shoots bear both simple lanceolate and unique trilobed leaves. The leaf epidermis and epidermis of the axis reveal mostly anomocytic stomata arranged in simple files. The holotype is characterized by fragments of a fertile structure consisting of at least three capsule-like organs that lack discriminating features. The unusual character combination is discussed, and may indicate that the fossils belong to a hitherto unknown, most likely gymnospermous seed plant group.