Taxonomical revision of the collection of jurassic plants from roverè di Velo (Veneto, northern Italy) stored in the Palaeontological Museum of the University of Naples "Federico II"

This paper presents a revision of the Jurassic fossil plants collection from Rovere di Velo (Verona Province) housed in the Palaeontological Museum of the "Federico II" University of Naples. It was extremely difficult to review the entries of the Roverè di Velo plant fossils stored in the Museum. Indeed, only by finding ancient purchase inventories of the former Museum of Geology pre-dating the foundation of the Palaeontological Museum, we got enough information to pursue our purposes. Using these inventories, it is now possible to know the Museum of Geology purchased the Rovere di Velo fossil plants in 1874. Yet, only partial cataloguing of this collection was carried out, since. In the course of this study the provisional classification carried out in the second half of the XIX century was completely revised, and a number of additional specimens have been identified and catalogued, accordingly. Owing to the lack of cuticle, we had ascertained taxonomic affiliations relying on macroscopic features, only. At present, the collection includes 69 slabs with plant remain content. During the taxonomical revision, the following fossil plant genera have been identified: Cycadopteris De Zigno, 1853; Dichopteris De Zigno, 1864; Sagenopteris Presl, 1838; Otozamites Braun, 1843; Ptilophyllum Morris, 1840; Pagiophyllum Heer, 1881; Brachyphyllum Brongniart, 1828; Desmiophyllum Lesquereux, 1878.