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Image Title: Rare Fossil Twig with Attached Leaves and Flowers of Pseudosalix handleyi
Image Credit: Steven R. Manchester, University of Florida
AJB Editor: Karl Niklas, Cornell University
Intended End User: Teacher, Student
License Details: BSA - Terms for Image Use
Copyright held by: BSA,
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About the Image

Rare fossil twig with attached leaves and flowers of Pseudosalix handleyi, a newly recognized genus and species of the Salicaceae from the Eocene Green River Formation of northeastern Utah. Although similar to Salix in leaf architecture, unisexual flowers, and capsular fruits, this plant differs by its branched inflorescences and well-developed perianth. The fossil is interpreted to belong within the family Salicaceae s.l., as the immediate sister group to the clade containing extant Salix and Populus.

Link to the AJB Abstract for the article:

An extinct genus of Salicaceae based on twigs with attached flowers, fruits, and foliage from the Eocene Green River Formation of Utah and Colorado, USA

National Science Foundation  Development Supported by the National Science Foundation