Maastrichtian monocotyledons of the Rusca Montană and Haţeg basins, South Carpathians, Romania

The Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) formations of the Rusca Montană and Haţeg basins (Romania) yield a compressive fossil flora including the genera Sabalites and Pandanites. The Rusca Montană and Haţeg basins represent very important areas for Cretaceous palms, due to the remarkable density of foliar material and to their palaeogeographic significance for the Tethyan area. Sabalites longirhachis (Unger) J. Kvaček et Herman 2004, collected from the Haţeg and Poiana Ruscă basins, is described, discussed and figured, together with Pandanites trinervis (Ettingshausen) J. Kvaček et Herman 2004 (including here Romanian material formerly attributed to Pandanites austriacus, Pandanites acutidens and Pandanites romanicus Petrescu et Duşa 1970), while Pandanites spinatissimus Petrescu et Duşa sp. nov. (including here Pandanus tenuissimus Petrescu et Duşa 1982 nom. inval. and Pandanus barbui Petrescu et Duşa 1982 nom. inval.) is validated, emended and illustrated. These monocot taxa offer new and relevant insights into the palaeobiogeography and palaeoecology of the latest Cretaceous floras of Europe.