Folia Historico-Naturalia Musei Matraensis - A Mátra Múzeum Természetrajzi Közleményei 17. (1992)
Bužek, Č.–László, J.: Contribution to the Upper Pannonian flora from Visonta, northern Hungary
smaller (younger) specimens and from about one third of the length in langer (ripe or almost ripe) specimens, in the latter case lobes seem to be relatively flat (most probably due to the secondary compression); outer surface of cupules is coarse, in some cases with longitudinal ribs (remnants of prickles after abrasion) on the distal parts of lobes, or without any special sculpture including keel; inner side rather smooth or granulate; when the cupule is not compressed we can see two trigonal scars on the base of interior (after attachment of the fruits). Fruits (achenes) two in cupule (they had been released during chemical clearing of the above - mentioned specimen), strongly compressed and damaged, obovate in outline, about 7 mm long and 5 mm wide, well developed but probably not fully ripe, evidently thin-walled, smooth, stylar region partly or not preserved; they were originally trigonous as Indicated by these fruits and the above-mentioned scars in the cupules, as well. Remarks: Although the material in question is very abraded and damaged it is well comparable with the cupules and fruits obtained from the same stratigraphie level of Nyugati (West) mine at Visonta (see PI. VIII, Figs. 1-9) where much more complete and better preserved specimens have been found. In spite of their rather small size they may be identified with Fagus decurrens, as it is now considered by Van der BURG (1983). Very small and thick-walled cupules found in our material (PI. VII, Figs. 10-12) were at first identified by us with those of Trigonobalanopsls KVACEK et WALTHER (1989). This type of cupules, generally well-known in the Lower Miocene of Europe under the name of Trlgonobalanus exacantha Mai, was recently recorded from the Upper Miocene of West Europe (Van der BURG 1987). However, it seems that they are only juvenile and gtrongly abraded cupules, if not only their basal parts, of our species Fagus decurrens. Material: 10 cupules and their fragments, 2 fruits in one cupule; besides, material from the Nyugati (West) mine (see above). Inventorized under Nos BK-5543 RKr > r ,45 JUGLANDACFAF Pterocarya sp. (PI. VI, Figs. 6, 7): Description: Endocarps, one lesser deformed, about 2 mm high and 4 mm wide, sharply ridged, the other compressed, up to 5 mm wide, ridges only indicated. Remark: The endocarps of Pterocarya have been recorded from the Miocene to lowermost Pleistocene of Europe (see e.g. REIO and REIO 1915, Van der BURG 1970). Present material seems to be conspeclfic with the specimens described as Pterocarya sp. from the Pannonian of northern Slovakia (KNOBLOCH 1980). Taxonomic revision of the European fossil material is necessary. Material: 2 specimens. Inventorized under Nos BK-5487, BK-5522 NY5SACEAE Nyssa disseminata (LUDWIG) KIRCHHEIMER (PI. IV. Figs. 8, 9): Description: Endocarp (stone) flattened, oval in outline, somewhat narrowed towards the ends, 8 mm long and 4.5 mm wide, with only triangular germination aperture (after valve) and beering about 7 shallow longitudinal grooves with vaecular bundles. Remarks: The specimen shows much more similarity with endocarps of Nyssa disseminata than with those of N. ornithobroma UNGER. However, material described as Nyssa disseminata from the Pontian of PoStorná, southern Moravia (BU2FK 1962), i s now considered to be N. ornithobroma (for differences see e.g. Mai 1973). Material: 1 specimen. Inventorized under No BK-5526 SABIACEAE Meliosma cf. wetteraviensis (LUDWIG) MAI (PI. VII. Figs. 15, 16): Description: Endocarp laterally compressed, round - triangular in outline, about 5 mm long and 4.5 mm wide, with a large ventral furrow and distinct median keel; surface smooth (with irregular ridges which ere most probably secondary ones due to the deformation). 58
