Undescribed Flowers in the Miocene Rock (Fossil Bowl) of Clarkia, ID?

[Allosaurus]

Hello everyone,

I took a short trip down to the Miocene age fossil bowl in Clarkia a few weeks back and came out with about 4-5 of these curious little fossils of what I was told by the family to be undescribed flowers. I can't seem to find a reference to them online after doing some quick searching, so I was wondering if anyone had heard something about these or not (if they are even flowers). It's very tiny at (from what I remember) no more than 1 cm across. I didn't post in the ID section because I don't have any better photos and am actually hesitant to remove the fossils from their newspaper until they dry for fear of the rocks breaking (admin, if this more properly belongs there please feel free to move the thread). I'm more or less curious if they've even been described yet and if anyone knows something about them.

Edited April 21, 2016 by Allosaurus

[piranha]

Bill Rember is the top Clarkia expert: LINK Please post his response on this one.

[BentonlWalters]

Did you ever find out any more about them? I found one almost a year ago now and i'd really like to learn more about it. It's still in the fridge after having a really rough time getting wet and frozen but I think it's just about ready.

 

Benton 

[Allosaurus]

On 7/3/2020 at 3:36 PM, BentonlWalters said:

Did you ever find out any more about them? I found one almost a year ago now and i'd really like to learn more about it. It's still in the fridge after having a really rough time getting wet and frozen but I think it's just about ready.

 

Benton 

Unfortunately I never heard back from Bill on the flowers. I'd still label it as undescribed for now, though I haven't gone out searching for any recent papers in the last couple of years. 

[piranha]

This one was originally described: Diospyros? microcalyx Knowlton 1926

 

 

Knowlton, F.H. 1926

Flora of the Latah Formation of Spokane, Washington, and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

United States Geological Survey, Professional Paper, 140A:17-81  PDF LINK

[BentonlWalters]

18 hours ago, piranha said:

This one was originally described: Diospyros? microcalyx Knowlton 1926

 

 

Knowlton, F.H. 1926

Flora of the Latah Formation of Spokane, Washington, and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

United States Geological Survey, Professional Paper, 140A:17-81  PDF LINK

Thank you, that is certainly the closet I've seen yet. The centre on those is completely missing just like mine and unlike a lot of other comperanda I've found so far, it looks to be around the right size. The only difference I see is that the Diospyros has clear separations between the petals where mine has petals which are connected. I'd need to take it out of the fridge for a closer look to confirm. 

[piranha]

5 hours ago, BentonlWalters said:

Thank you, that is certainly the closet I've seen yet. The centre on those is completely missing just like mine and unlike a lot of other comperanda I've found so far, it looks to be around the right size. The only difference I see is that the Diospyros has clear separations between the petals where mine has petals which are connected. I'd need to take it out of the fridge for a closer look to confirm. 

 

 

The ID comes directly from the paleobotanist with a forthcoming revision in the works.  I will post an update once it is formally published.

 

"That flower type was named Diospyros? microcalyx by Knowlton in 1926.  He thought it was related to persimmon (modern genus Diospyros).   

 There are differences however, so I have been planning to name a new extinct genus..."