3. WOOD ANATOMY OF A SILICIFIED TRUNK FROM THE KHARGA OASIS, EGYPT S.G.M. YOUSSEFI, W.E. EL-SAADAWI 2 , M. KEDVES3 and R.M. MOSTAFA, 1. Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Benha, Egypt, 2. Department of Bo- tany, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt, 3. Cell Biological and Evolutionary Micro- paleontological Laboratory of the Department of Botany of the University of Szeged, H-6701, P.O.Box 993, Szeged, Hungary Abstract This paper presents the detailed LM anatomy of a gymnospermous fossil wood from the Late Cretaceous layers of the Kharga Oasis. The pitting of the radial wall of the tracheids is of an early "araucarioid" type. In comparison to the previous fossil wood data the following anatomical characteristics may be emphasized: 1. The ray cells are 3 - 52 cells high. 2. The great number (21, 24) of the pits in the cross fields. 3. The trans- verse walls of the longitudinal parenchyma cells are smooth. Based on these LM characteristic features this fossil wood is described as Agathoxylon lifiyii sp. nov. Key words: Xylotomy, fossil, Agathoxylon, Upper Cretaceous, Egypt. Introduction Four genera and seven species of petrified gymnosperm wood have, so far, been re- ported from Egypt (in addition to unidentified specimens) as tabulated below: Taxa Permian Juras- sic Late Creta- ceous Tertiary (Oligo- cene) Site Reference Family: Araucariaceae Dadoxylon: Endlicher 1847 D. aegyptiacum Unger 1858 D. dallonii Boureau 1948 D. mokattamensis Kräusel 1924 D. sudanense Duperon-L&Lejal-N., 1981 + + + + 1,5,6,7,8,9,10 12 3 12 Unger, 1858-59 Duperon-L&Lejal-N., 1981 Kräusel, 1924 Duperon-L&Lejal-N., 1981 Family: Cupressaceae Cupressinoxylon Goeppert 1850 ?C. sp Kräusel 1924 + 5,6 Kräusel, 1924-39 Family: Podocarpaceae Mesembrioxylon (Podocarpoxylon) aegyptiacum (Kräusel) Boureau 1950 Protophyllocladoxylon Kräusel 1939 P. leuchsi Kräusel 1939 + + 3 7,8 Kräusel, 1939 Kräusel, 1939 Unidentified gymnösperm woöd" + 11 Youssef, 1993 30