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Premise: Nearly 200 araceous leaves and two spadices have been identified among Paleocene fossils from the Blindman River locality near Blackfalds, Alberta, Canada. Although not found in attachment, these probably represent parts of the same extinct plant species. Methods: Specimens were studied using light microscopy. Phylogenetic analyses using a morphological matrix of living and fossil Araceae were performed using TNT version 1.5 to help establish relationships of the fossil leaves and spadices within Araceae and to each other. Results: Leaves are simple with a broad petiole, entire margin, and elliptic to ovate or oblong blade with an acute to slightly rounded apex. A multi‐veined midrib extends into the basal region of the blade. Parallelodromous primary veins of two orders diverge at acute angles, converging with a submarginal vein or at the apex. Transverse veins are opposite percurrent, producing rectangular to polygonal areoles. Higher‐order veins are mixed opposite/alternate. Spadices are cylindrical, with helically arranged, bisexual, perigoniate flowers, each with six free tepals and a protruding style. Fruits are trilocular, with axile placentation and one seed per locule. Conclusions: Leaves are assignable to the fossil genus Orontiophyllum J. Kvaček & S.Y. Sm. as O. grandifolium comb. nov. Spadices are described as Bognerospadix speirsiae gen. et sp. nov. Leaves and spadices each conform to an early‐diverging lineage of Araceae, increasing the known diversity of Proto‐Araceae (viz., subfamilies Gymnostachydoideae and Orontioideae). Together, they provide strong evidence for extinct Proto‐Araceae with novel combinations of characters shortly after the Cretaceous‐Paleogene floral transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several new broad-leaved monocots were identified in gray siltstones and fine-grained sandstones from the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian-Maastrichtian) St. Mary River Formation near Cardston, Alberta, Canada. Specimens are compression/impressions of long-petiolate aquatic plants that were probably buried in situ. Leaf blades are entire, ovate to elliptic, with deeply cordate bases; leaf blades are 5-12 cm long and 3.5-8.5 cm wide. Petioles are at least 4 mm wide with five to seven primary veins that enter the leaf blade. Venation is campylodromous, resulting in 23-27 primary veins with three medial veins that remain unbranched to the apex. Major and minor secondary veins (ABAB pattern) diverge at angles of 45°-65° near the midveins and 900 near the leaf margin. Tertiary veins are usually unbranched, but occasional dichotomies and anastomoses occur. No freely ending veinlets are visible. The Cardston specimens are compared with extant leaves of Alismatales and show closest similarities to those of Lirnnocharis L., Hydrocleys Rich., and Butomopsis Kunth. These leaves are also similar to fossil leaves of Haemanthophyllum Budantsev, in particular H. cordatum Golovneva from the Maastrichtian-Danian deposits of the Koryak Highlands, Russia. A reexamination of the genus Haemanthophyllum, the generitype (H. kamtschaticum Budantsev), the holotype for H. cordatum, and the Cardston specimens results in the description of a new genus, Cardstonia tolmanii gen. et sp. nov. (Limnocharitaceae). This study points to the need for reexamination of the remaining species in the genus Haemanthophyllum, which appear to represent a diverse assemblage of leaves of varying morphology that are probably not a natural group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]