Ekrixanthera ehecatli is a species of extinct plant first described from fossilised flowers from Mexican amber. Its flowers lack pedicels and are pentamerous and staminate; they have a pistillode with reduced pilosity; glabrous heteromorphic tepals with truncate tips. Differentiating it from Ekrixanthera hispaniolae are the presence or absence of a pedicel, the heterotrophic tepals, and the presence or absence of pilosity of its pistillode and tepals. Additionally, the latter characters added to the pentamerous flowers separate the two fossil species from extant genera. Its floral structures indicate an explosive manner of pollen release as well as anemophily. Lepidopterans feeding on this species is suspected during the mid-Tertiary.[2]

Ekrixanthera ehecatli
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Urticaceae
Genus: Ekrixanthera
Species:
E. ehecatli
Binomial name
Ekrixanthera ehecatli
Poinar, Kevan & Jackes (2021), nom. inval.[1]

The name first appeared in a publication in 2016, but was not validly published under the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants. A correction was published online in 2021.[3] As of April 2024, the correction was not accepted by the International Fossil Plant Names Index,[1] as the publication of the genus name gave two type species.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Ekrixanthera ehecatli". The International Fossil Plant Names Index. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
  2. ^ Poinar, George; Kevan, Peter G.; Jackes, Betsy R. (2016). "Fossil species in Boehmerieae (Urticaceae) in Dominican and Mexican amber: a new genus (Ekrixanthera) and two new species with anemophilous pollination by explosive pollen release, and possible lepidopteran herbivory1". Botany. 94 (8): 599–606. doi:10.1139/cjb-2016-0006. ISSN 1916-2790.
  3. ^ Poinar, Jr., George O.; Kevan, Peter G. & Jackes, Betsy R. (2022) [published online 2021]. "Correction: Fossil species in Boehmerieae (Urticaceae) in Dominican and Mexican amber: a new genus (Ekrixanthera) and two new species with anemophilous pollination by explosive pollen release, and possible lepidopteran herbivory". Botany. 100 (1): 63–64. doi:10.1139/cjb-2021-0202.
  4. ^ "Ekrixanthera". The International Fossil Plant Names Index. Retrieved 2024-04-03.