Mongolitria: a new Early Cretaceous three-valved seed from northeast Asia.

Mongolitria is similar to other fossil seeds that have been assigned to Cycadales, but displays a unique combination of characters not found in any living or extinct cycadaceous plant, leaving its higher level systematic affinities uncertain. Germination apparently involved splitting of the integument into three valves. Mongolitria was prominent among the plant parts accumulating in peat swamps in eastern Asia during the Early Cretaceous. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.