Wuyunanthus gen. nov., a flower of Celastraceae from the Palaeocene of north‐east China

Abstract A flower assigned to Wuyunanthus hexapetalus gen. & sp. nov. has been collected from the Wuyun Formation of Palaeocene age, Jiayin County, Heilongjiang Province, north-east China. The flower is bisexual, actinomorphic, and 6-merous. There are six free valvate petals in a whorl inserted on the margin of a hexagonal disk, and six free stamens alternate with petals within it. The pistil consists of fused carpels. Ovary with an apical style is superior. The unique combination of characters of the fossil, such as stamens inside the thick and flattened disk surrounding the ovary and equal in number to the petals, is similar to that of Celastraceae. The fossil is assigned to Celastraceae but distinguished from other extant genera of the family by being 6-merous rather than 4- or 5-merous. It might represent an extinct and early type of Celastraceae. The presence of a disk might provide evidence for insect pollination in the early stages of Celastraceae evolution.