The first record of Mammeoxylon lanneoides Lemoigne (Clusiaceae) from Egypt, with a summary of the Egyptian Oligocene wood flora

Abstract

A petrified wood resembling the modern wood of Mammea africana Sabine is described from the Oligocene Gebel Ahmer Formation from Egypt. The fossil wood is attributed to Mammeoxylon lanneoides Lemoigne according to the xylotomical homologies with the species recorded previously from Ethiopia. The wood anatomy observed in the fossil specimen, along with the climatic information available from the Nearest Living Relative comparison, suggests a tropical humid climate at the site of growth. This is the oldest record of Mammeoxylon Lemoigne in Africa, which contributes towards the understanding of the origin and paleo-dispersal pathways of the genus. A list of 46 Egyptian Oligocene wood species attributed to 11 families is also given.