New observations on the pollen of ctenolophon oliver (ctenolophonaceae), with remarks on the evolutionary history of the genus

Abstract

A pollen type intermediate between that of Ctenolophon englerianus (Africa) and C. parvifolius (Malesia) and closest to the African species is reported for C. parvifolius from Samar (Philippines). The fossil pollen record, hitherto used in support of an early and distinct differentiation within Ctenolophon during the Upper Cretaceous, is therefore reinterpreted, and several alternatives are presented for the evolutionary history of the genus. © 1989.