A mid-Cretaceous Lauraceae flower, Cascolaurus burmitis gen. et sp. nov., in Myanmar amber

An actinomorphic staminate flower in mid-Cretaceous Myanmar amber is described as Cascolaurus burmitis gen. et sp. nov. in the family Lauraceae. The fossil most closely resembles extant unisexual flowers of the genus Litsea Lam. in the Tribe Laureae, however the size difference of the two whorls of perianth members, 3 whorls of tetrasporangiate anthers with apical valves arranged in 2 rows with introse dehiscence in whorls 1 and 2 and extrose dehiscence in whorl 3, plus the extremely large staminal glands, distinguish the fossil from extinct and extant genera of Lauraceae. Cascolaurus burmitis gen. et sp. nov. is the first Cretaceous Lauraceae flower in amber and the best preserved of all known Cretaceous flowers of that family.