Nelumbo protospeciosa SAPORTA 1891 from the Berane Basin (Lower Miocene)

Abstract

Berane Basin in Montenegro has been known for rich paleoflora of diverse geological ages. The remains of paleovegetation of various ages were preserved by the lake occurring in this area from Late Oligocene to Early Pliocene. Therefore, the shifts in vegetation during the Miocene period may be easily followed by studying the paleofloras collected at the Berane Basin. The first and only known remains of aquatic (floating) plants were collected in 1995 at the locality Rosulje (Berane Basin) in the Early Miocene sediments. According to the morphoanatomical characteristics of leaves such as shape of lamina, veins, venation, presence of central disk or position of petiola, the specimens were identified as Nelumbo protospeciosa SAP., a widely distributed form during the Tertiary of Eurasia. No other plants or accompanying vegetation were recorded at the Rosulje site, so presence of Nelumbo protospeciosa was insufficient for determining the habitat, vegetation or climate during its existence. Therefore the paleoenvironmental reconstruction also included analysis of the already published Early Miocene flora from the locality Luge-Haremi (Berane Basin) and ecoclimatic characteristics of recent Nelumbo species. At last was concluded that Nelumbo, which had leaves at least 30 cm in diameter, used to inhabit open, well-insolated sites, probably under the influence of the subtropical/Mediterranean-type climate.