Systematic

ABSTRACT-lara igltassu gen. ef sp. nov., a new taxon of aquatic angiosperm that oeeurs in the Crato Palaeoflora is deseribed. The new species contributes to improve the knowledge of early angiosperms diversity and evolution, since the West Gondwana eould be the spreading center of the first flowering plants in an older time. The Crato Member consists of larninaLed limestones of shallow lacustrine origin with marine influence and of Late AptianJEarJy Albian age. lara iguassu is an tilamentous plant that eonsists of a cylindrical, articulate and furrowed stem that bear leaves elongated, tubular, flexible and inserted whorly. The fertile structures are represented by thin elongated flexible and striated peduncles that emerge near the stem nodal region. The peduncles distal portion consists of a spindle-shaped structure. The plant would live submersed in shallow lacustrine environmems, probably with saline waters, depositional palaeoenvironments already suggested for the Crato Member. lara iguassu features are partly found in extant and not related aquatic herbaceous families such as Potamogetonaeeae, Cymodoceaeeae and Ruppiaceae (Monocots) and also Podoslemaceae (Dicot). Therefore, lara iguassu ma