Palaeonitella trifurcata n. sp., a cortoid-building charophyte from the Lower Cretaceous of Catalonia

Palaeonitella trifurcata n. sp. is a minute ecorticate thallus of charophyte from non-marine upper Barremian–Lower Aptian section the Garraf Massif, near Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain). Whorls trifurcated branchlets built glomerules about 1 mm across. Small radial were once in three terminal acuminate dactyls. Longer and more robust branches, two per whorl emerge basal trifurcation, bore opposite secondary ended bearing one oospore. The whole set characters suggests affinity with Nitella, making this fossil oldest unique possible records thalli extant genus. P. was encrusted by thin micrite film, additionally, whorls coated thicker crust while plant still alive. It suggested that formed upon periphyton which grew perhaps mucilage covering apical heads, as it happens Nitella. After encrustation, small (ca. 5 across) constructive envelope, called cortoid, attached to plant, preserving inside articulated slightly encrusted. Once died, such cortoids accumulated on lake bottom buried lithified, forming “cortolite”. This first report envelopes protecting delicate poorly calcified being destroyed.