Quasisequoia

Quasisequoia Temporal range: Santonian–Miocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Gymnospermae
Division:	Pinophyta
Class:	Pinopsida
Order:	Cupressales
Family:	Cupressaceae
Subfamily:	Sequoioideae
Genus:	† Quasisequoia
Other species
†Q.couttsiae †Q.florinii †Q.scanica †Q.aasenensis †Q.suecica
Synonyms
†Sequoia couttsiae [1]

Quasisequoia is an extinct genus of redwood conifers known from Europe. Fossils date from the Late Cretaceous to the Miocene. Fossils are known from Sweden, Russia (Kaliningrad), UK, Germany and the Czech Republic. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

Description

Quasisequoia had a uniform twig structure and distinctive leaf morphology. The shoots bear spirally arranged, decurrent leaves that may be either awl-shaped or lanceolate-linear. Leaf tips can vary from sharply pointed to more rounded and are typically free, with orientations ranging from slightly incurved to straight. The margins are generally smooth, though in some specimens they display small papillae set at irregular intervals. Leaves are amphistomatic, with stomata present on both surfaces; on the lower surface, the stomata may appear scattered, aligned in short rows, or grouped in irregular patches. ^[5]

Ecology

Quasisequoia is known to have inhabited the Baltic forests during the Paleogene. It was common around floodplain ecosystems. ^[6]

References

1. "Quasisequoia couttsiae". The INTERNATIONAL FOSSIL PLANT NAMES INDEX.
2. Sadowski, Eva-Maria; Schmidt, Alexander R.; Kunzmann, Lutz (2022-06-28). "The hyperdiverse conifer flora of the Baltic amber forest". Palaeontographica Abteilung B. 304 (1–4): 1–148. Bibcode:2022PalAB.304....1S. doi:10.1127/palb/2022/0078. ISSN   2194-900X.
3. McLoughlin, Stephen; Halamski, Adam T.; Mays, Chris; Kvacek, Jiří (2021-07-03). "Neutron tomography, fluorescence and transmitted light microscopy reveal new insect damage, fungi and plant organ associations in the Late Cretaceous floras of Sweden". GFF. 143 (2–3): 248–276. doi:10.1080/11035897.2021.1896574. ISSN   1103-5897.
4. "Bournemouth Freshwater Beds (Eocene of the United Kingdom)". PBDB.org.
5. Teodoridis, Vasilis; Sakala, Jakub (2008-12-19). "Early Miocene conifer macrofossils from the Most Basin (Czech Republic)". Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen. 250 (3): 287–312. Bibcode:2008NJGPA.250..287T. doi:10.1127/0077-7749/2008/0250-0287. ISSN   0077-7749.
6. "Conifers of the 'Baltic Amber Forest' and their Palaeoecological Significance". ResearchGate. Archived from the original on 2022-09-03. Retrieved 2025-08-23.