Montsechia is an extinct genus of aquatic plants containing the species Montsechia vidalii, described from Spain. M. vidalii lived about 130 million years ago, during the Barremian age, and appears to be the earliest known flowering plant macrofossil.[1][2] It has affinities with the modern genus Ceratophyllum.[3] It has been placed in the ceratophyllalean family Montsechiaceae.[4]

Montsechia
Temporal range: Barremian
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Order: Ceratophyllales
Family: Montsechiaceae
B.Gomez et al.
Genus: Montsechia
C.Teixeira
Species:
M. vidalii
Binomial name
Montsechia vidalii
(Zeiler) C.Teixeira

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Fossilised remains of world’s oldest flower discovered in Spain", The Guardian, Aug. 17, 2015.
  2. ^ "Plant from 130 million years ago is among 'first flowers': study". Yahoo news. Yahoo!. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  3. ^ "IU paleobotanist identifies what could be the mythical 'first flower'". IU Bloomington Newsroom. Indiana University Bloomington. 17 August 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  4. ^ Gomez, Bernard; Daviero-Gomez, Véronique; Coiffard, Clément; Barral, Abel; Martín-Closas, Carles & Dilcher, David L. (2020). "Montsechia vidalii from the Barremian of Spain, the earliest known submerged aquatic angiosperm, and its systematic relationship to Ceratophyllum". Taxon. 69 (6): 1273–1292. doi:10.1002/tax.12409.