Fossil Celastraceae leaves from the Early Miocene Foulden Maar Lagerstätte, New Zealand: expanding the fossil record and biogeographic history of the family

A new extinct fossil genus and species of Celastraceae is described, based on numerous well-preserved leaves from the Early Miocene Foulden Maar Lagerstätte, southern New Zealand. The leaves of Palaeochrysa celastroides gen. et sp. nov. are most similar in morphology and anatomy to those of several extant taxa from the proximal Austral-Pacific clade of the family, such as Denhamia, Maytenus and Salaciopsis. This study of leaves with excellent cuticular preservation extends the fossil record of Celastraceae to the Early Miocene of New Zealand, further expanding the past range and biogeography of this largely cosmopolitan plant family.