<p>(A–C, H) Abaxial fossil cuticle. (A) Cuticle of the upper half of the ovuliferous scale showing the arrangement of epidermal cells and stomata. (B) Outer surface of the cuticle showing the sunken stomatal apparatus. (C) Inner surface of the cuticle showing the cuticular projection resulting from the sunken stomatal apparatus. (D-G, I) Abaxial epidermis of extant species for comparison. (D) Epidermis of the upper half of the ovuliferous scale. (E) Outer surface of the sunken stomatal apparatus. (F) Cuticular projection on the inner surface of the cuticle. (G) Cuticle with epidermal cells attached with arrowhead 1 pointing to the stoma, arrowhead 2 pointing to the epidermal cell, and arrowhead 3 pointing to the cuticle. (H) Cuticle of the auriculate parts of the fossil ovuliferous scale with the approximate isodiametric polygon epidermis cells indicated by an arrowhead. (I) Cuticle at the base of the auriculate parts of the extant ovuliferous scale. Scale bars: (A, D, G, I), 40 μm; (B, C, E, F), 10 μm; (H), 100 μm.</p
