A NEW RECORD OF AGATHOXYLON FROM THE OLIGOCENE-MIOCENE OF SOUTH CHINA

A gymnosperm wood is described from the Oligocene-Miocene of Hainan Island, South China. It is characterized by circular, thin-walled tracheids with resin plugs, 1-3-seriate alternate or opposite intertracheary pits in radial walls, 1-2-seriate rays, cross fields with 3-14 araucarioid cross-.eld pits. These are features found in the Araucariaceae and the fossil is designated as Agathoxylon sp. Fossil woods with anatomical characteristics seen in the Araucariaceae are extremely rare in the North Hemisphere after the K/T boundary. Thus, this Agathoxylon from the Oligocene-Miocene of South China has significance for biogeographic studies.