Late Triassic plants from the Julian Alps (Italy)

Abundant and well-preserved plant macrofossils have been recently collected near Dogna in the Julian Alps (Northeastern Italy). The macroflora is borne by a thick succession of subtidal clays, marls and bioturbated to nodular wackestone-packstones ascribed to the Rio del Lago Formation. The ammonoids and palynomorphs from the formation indicate typically an early Carnian age. The plant association includes mainly conifers and pteridosperms, but rare ferns and horsetails have been found as well. Several conifers are represented both by shoots, leaves and less abundant fructifications, including well-preserved cuticles of cheirolepidiaceous affinity. The seed fern leaves belong to the genus Ptilozamites, the fern pinnae to the genus Marantoidea and the horsetail stems to the genus Equisetites. Small amber drops have been also found in association with the macroflora. The palynological samples are dominated by pollen attributed to the conifers (58%), mostly represented by species of cheirolepidiaceous affinity. Pteridosperm pollen is also well-represented, while spores of ferns and lycopods are rare.