The unusual Upper Cretaceous conifer Androvettia from eastern U.S.A.*

Flat, frond-like conifer shoots from the Upper Cretaceous of the eastern United States have been described in the past as three species of the genus Androvettia Hollick & Jeffrey. The characteristics of Androvettia are discussed and compared with descriptions of Moriconia Dehey & Ettingshausen. Specimens of all three species, including new material, have been studied by light and scanning electron microscopy. It is concluded that only one species, Androvettia statenensis Hollick & Jeffrey, is represented. The morphology and phyllotaxis of the shoots, which are phylloclades, are illustrated and discussed. Two forms of branches are present which it is suggested represent shoots of determinate and indeterminate growth. Membership of the family Cheirolepidiaceae is tentatively suggested.