Oligocene coniferous woods of the Petroșani Basin, South Carpathians, Romania

The Petroșani Basin of the South Carpathians, Romania, yields frequent permineralized wood material confined to the Chattian, coal bearing Dâlja-Uricani Formation. This study represents the first comprehensive taxonomic and systematic investigation of the basin's permineralized flora, in the larger area of the South Carpathians which until now remained largely unstudied for Oligocene woods. The newly collected material belongs to Family Cupressaceae sensu lato and is assigned to two genera: Taxodioxylon and Glyptostroboxylon , with four species: Taxodioxylon germanicum (Greguss) Van der Burgh, T. taxodii Gothan, T. gypsaceum (Göppert) Kräusel, and Glyptostroboxylon rudolphii Dolezych et Van der Burgh. The assemblage represents primary coal generators of a conifer dominated swamp vegetation that developed under a warm-temperate, humid climate in Petroșani Basin during the Late Oligocene.