The Søby Flora: Fossil plants from the Middle Miocene delta deposits of the Søby-Fasterholt area, Central Jutland, Denmark. Part I

Abstract

In 1969 a new Danish fossil flora was found in the Søby-Fasterholt area near Herning. The fossil flora, called the Søby Flora, is found in a clay bed at the top of the Odderup Formation. The bed is succeeded by the Middle Miocene Hodde Clay, itself overlain by Upper Miocene Glauconite Clay. The Gram Clay, containing marine fossils is found a few km further south, and forms a biostratigraphical indicator level. The fossil plants, and especially the leaves, are well preserved. This paper is the first part of the systematic description, treating the following species: Pinus thomasiana (Goepp.) Reichenbach, Taxodium dubium (Sternb.) Heer, Smilax weberi Wessel and Comptonia acutiloba Brongniart. In the present paper the reader will find the epidermis of Smilax weberi and that of Comptonia acutiloba described for the first time.