Revision of Comarostaphylis globula (Ericaceae) from Cenozoic of Central Europe

Fossil fruits of the Central European middle Miocene originally described as Comarostaphylis globula have been re-interpreted based on new specimens from several localities in the Konin basin, Central Poland, and Chłapowo, Northern Poland. A new ericaceous genus Kirchheimeria is proposed, but is of uncertain subfamilial affinity. We suggest that the new genus is i) an early representative of the Comarostaphylis-Arctostaphylos lineage, ii) a separate, extinct European lineage of Arbutoideae, or iii) a representative of an extinct Ericaceae subfamily. We review the fossil record of Arbutoideae, with emphasis on the European remains. We suggest that the Paleogene and most of the Neogene remains have been unconvincingly identified and attributed to Arbutoideae, and need confirmation through re-examination of the original materials.