''Peltandra primaeva'' is an

extinct Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

monocot Monocotyledons (), commonly referred to as monocots, (Lilianae ''sensu'' Chase & Reveal) are flowering plants whose seeds contain only one Embryo#Plant embryos, embryonic leaf, or cotyledon. A monocot taxon has been in use for several decades, but ...

in the family

Araceae The Araceae are a family of monocotyledonous flowering plants in which flowers are borne on a type of inflorescence called a spadix. The spadix is usually accompanied by, and sometimes partially enclosed in, a spathe (or leaf-like bract). Also ...

known from a

Ypresian In the geologic timescale the Ypresian is the oldest age (geology), age or lowest stage (stratigraphy), stratigraphic stage of the Eocene. It spans the time between , is preceded by the Thanetian Age (part of the Paleocene) and is followed by th ...

age

Eocene The Eocene ( ) is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (Ma). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes ...

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserve ...

found in western

North Dakota North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...

, USA. The species was described from a single leaf specimen found at the White Butte locality, USNM number 14048. This locality is placed in the Camels Butte member of the Golden Valley Formation. The Camels Butte member outcrops at a number of sites in western

, and is designated the type locality. The

holotype A holotype (Latin: ''holotypus'') is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of s ...

specimen, number ''USNM 43184'', is preserved in the

National Museum of Natural History The National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. It has free admission and is open 364 days a year. With 4.4 ...

collections of the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

. The single specimen was studied by paleobotanist Leo J. Hickey of the Yale University Geology Department. Hickey published the 1977 type description for ''P. primaeva'' in the Geological Society of America memoir 150, ''Stratigraphy and Paleobotany of the Golden Valley Formation (Paleogene) of Western North Dakota''. Hickey chose the specific name ''primaeva'', noting the species to be the first and only megafossil record for the genus '' Peltandra'' described. The holotype of ''Peltandra primaeva'' is a distal leaf portion displaying a short slightly pointed tip. The preserved section shows a distinct pattern of veins running parallel to the margin with reticulation in the veins forming abaxially. The only modern member of

to show this structuring is ''Peltandra'', hence the placement in the genus. Unlike the modern species ''P. primaeva'', it has between eight and ten veins parallel to the margin and forms a costal zone which is larger than in modern species. The preservation of the fossil suggests the leaf would have been chartaeous, thin and paper-like, in life.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q7161743 Aroideae Prehistoric angiosperms Plants described in 1977 Eocene plants Extinct flora of North America Fossil taxa described in 1977