The Late Early Pleistocene Flora Of Oriolo, Faenza (Italy): Assembly Of The Modern Forest Biome Author Denk, Thomas Author Sami, Marco Author Teodoridis, Vasilis Author Martinetto, Edoardo text Fossil Imprint 2022 2022-08-26 78 1 217 262 http://dx.doi.org/10.37520/fi.2022.009 journal article 10.37520/fi.2022.009 2533-4069 7167867 Clematis aff. vitalba L ., 1753 Text-fig. 3j M a t e r i a l. Oriolo MSF 630-1, 710-1. D e s c r i p t i o n. Leaflet, lamina ovate, cordate, 43 to> 50 mm long, 30–46 mm wide, primary venation acrodromous, one midvein, two lateral veins, secondary venation brochidodromous. R e m a r k s. The leaflet is very similar to the extant liana C . vitalba (cf. modern specimen E00440433, herbarium E). In contrast, similarities with Smilax are weak. The key candidate among modern Smilax spp. to compare against our fossil would be Smilax excelsa L. (modern relict distribution in the Euxinian-Hyrcanian forest region). However, this species differs in the number of primary veins (usually 2–3 pairs of lateral primary veins), and in the secondary venation. In Smilax , brochidodromous loops of secondary veins typically join to form an additional lateral primary vein (see for example specimen E00325946, herbarium E).