Description

Tropidogyne pikei
Angiosperm
Cretaceous
Vicinity of Maingkwan, north of Mogaunga, Myanmar (Burma)

4mm angiosperm flower in 18mm Burmite.

Tropidogyne is a genus of five-petal flower that has been tentatively assigned to the plant family, Cunonciacae, which includes a number of woody plants.  The New South Wales Christmas bush, Ceratopetalum gummiferum, is perhaps the most well-known species.  If so, Tropidogyne would be the earliest-known genus of the family.

Here we have an ancient flower miraculously preserved in a random swirl of other plant matter inside polished amber – a view into a tiny corner of the Early Cretaceous.