Egyptian Fossil Angiosperm Wood: A Guide to their Anatomical Identification

Abstract

A FEW of the existing publications on Egyptian fossil plants provide special aids to identifying fossil wood remains. Two dichotomous keys to the angiosperm petrified wood species reported to date from the Egyptian strata are presented here to facilitate the tentative identification of angiosperm fossil wood specimens. The first key includes 19 species of Palmoxylon which is the morphogenus for the petrified palm stem that is the common representative of monocotyledones (Arecaceae) in the Egyptian fossil flora and can be identified to the species level. The second key contains 46 species of dicotyledonous petrified wood of different families reported in the literature from different ages and locations in Egypt. These keys would benefit palaeobotanists who might find the literature on Egyptian fossil wood not easily accessible.