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Montsechia vidaliiis an abundant plant fossil from the Barremian of northeastern Spain. Systematic affinities have been suggested with several living plant clades (liverworts, horsetails, conifers, Gnetales), particularly with angiosperms. We provide detailed descriptions, documentation, and discussion of morphology and histology based on hand specimens of isolated leafy stems with fruits examined under the stereomicroscope, and with light and scanning electron microscopy. Montsechia vidaliishows shoots with flexible axes of two phyllotaxies and leaf morphologies. One morphology has opposite‐decussate leaves and stems, with small linear leaves. The other has spirally arranged leaves and stems, with inconspicuous leaves. The cuticle is thin and shows anomocytic stomata. Some stems bear terminal pairs of indehiscent fruits, probably developing from bicarpellate reproductive complexes, probably corresponding to two simple flowers each with a single carpel and arranged in indeterminate inflorescences. Every fruit contains a single seed and shows both similarities to the uniovulate ascidiate carpel that has been reconstructed as ancestral in angiosperms and derived features such as orthotropous, pendent and unitegmic ovules that are shared with the aquatic living genus Ceratophyllum. Phylogenetic analyses confirm that these similarities reflect a systematic relationship to Ceratophyllumand relatives. This and other recently described fossils, in particular Pseudoasterophyllites, suggest that this clade was diverse and ecologically significant in the Early Cretaceous. Flexible axes, thin cuticles, low number of stomata, and indehiscent fruits, as well as sedimentological and taphonomic evidence, strongly suggest a freshwater habit for M. vidalii.

Fossil plant material was collected during the 1980s in Egypt and preliminarily described as a putative member of Araceae. Reexamination of the collections led to the discovery of new specimens and preparation of the material provided new characters confirming the araceous affinities of the fossil. The morphology of these leaves, especially the venation pattern of several vein orders, has been compared with leaves of fossil and extant monocot angiosperms, especially Araceae. The colocasioid secondary venation and the marginal venation pattern of the fossil are most similar to living Araceae, especially Aroideae. A new genus and species, Afrocasia kahlertiana gen. et sp. nov., were erected to accommodate these results. The physiognomy of Afrocasia kahlertiana supports the hypothesis of a humid and shady environment and indicates that Araceae have inhabited forest understory for at least 70 million years. Furthermore, its occurrence in Africa indicates that Araceae probably suffered stronger extinction on this continent.

Spherical flower heads have often been reported from the late Early and Late Cretaceous of Asia and North America, but are rare in Europe. Palaeobotanists have included them in Altingiaceae and Hamamelidaceae (Saxifragales, basal core eudicots), and Platanaceae (Proteales, basal eudicots). We report newly collected flower heads from the Cenomanian of southeastern France. They are examined using scanning electron microscopy and propagation phase-contrast X-ray synchrotron microtomography with a voxel size down to 0.7 µm. They are described and compared with 95 living angiosperms, which include basal eudicots, basal rosids and basal asterids, based on a cladistic analysis of 64 characters. Verneda hermaphroditicagen. & sp. nov. consists of flower heads with around one hundred actinomorphic, pentamerous, bisexual flowers. The androecium has united filaments but free tetrasporangiate anthers. Pollen grains are tricolpate and reticulate. The gynoecium is eusyncarpous and pentalocular. Each of the five carpels contains a single ovule/seed. Cladistic analysis suggests that Verneda hermaphroditicais sister to Platanaceae. It cannot, however, be included in this family because characters such as basally fused stamen filaments and eusyncarpous gynoecium are absent in living Platanaceae.

Fossil leaf material was collected during the 1980s in northern Sudan and described as Proteaephyllum sagenopteroides. The revision of the type material and other specimens from the same collection led to a new interpretation of this taxon. The morphology of these leaves, especially the venation pattern of several vein orders, has been compared with leaves of fossil and extant monocotyledonous angiosperms, especially Araceae, with the conclusion that the fossil's parallel-pinnate venation as well as its higher-order venation show most similarities to living Araceae, especially Aroideae. A new genus, Lejalia, is erected to accommodate these results. The ecology of fossil Lejalia sagenopteroidesgen. nov. et comb. nov. as an inhabitant of mangrove swamps, most likely together with the mangrove palm Nypa, elucidates the old age and stability of the Nypa-mangrove environment and its associated elements, including the occurrence of large-leaved Aroids.

Hexagyne philippianagen. et sp. nov. represents the first macrofossil piperalean taxon from the Early Cretaceous (Aptian). The fossil material from northern Gondwana consists of a twig with well-preserved leaves and a characteristic venation pattern plus a twig with attached leaves and several flowers combined in a raceme. The new taxon shares many characters, such as leaf shape and venation pattern, as well as flower morphology, including a clearly developed perianth and six fused carpels, with extant Aristolochiaceae (sensu lato) and/or related clades. Representatives of Aristolochiaceae grow today in Laurasia. The Early Cretaceous finds in South America (Brazil) may indicate a Gondwanan origin of this group. Based on its morphology, Hexagynegen. nov. might have had an ecology of an understory plant in a shaded environment.