Montsechia

{{short description|Extinct genus of aquatic plants}}

{{Speciesbox

| fossil_range = {{Fossilrange|Barremian}}

| image = Montsechia vidalii 01.JPG

| image_caption =

| grandparent_authority = B.Gomez et al.

| genus = Montsechia

| parent_authority = C.Teixeira

| species = vidalii

| authority = (Zeiler) C.Teixeira

}}

Montsechia is an extinct genus of aquatic plants containing the species Montsechia vidalii, described from Spain. M. vidalii lived about 130 million years ago, during the Barremian age, and appears to be the earliest known flowering plant macrofossil.[https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/aug/17/fossilised-remains-worlds-oldest-flower-discovered-cretaceous "Fossilised remains of world’s oldest flower discovered in Spain"], The Guardian, Aug. 17, 2015.{{cite web|title=Plant from 130 million years ago is among 'first flowers': study|url=https://news.yahoo.com/plant-130-million-years-ago-among-first-flowers-215423583.html|website=Yahoo news|publisher=Yahoo!|access-date=19 August 2015}} It has affinities with the modern genus Ceratophyllum.{{cite web |url=http://news.indiana.edu/releases/iu/2015/08/first-flower-angiosperms.shtml |title=IU paleobotanist identifies what could be the mythical 'first flower' |author= |date=17 August 2015 |website=IU Bloomington Newsroom |publisher=Indiana University Bloomington |access-date=20 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170304155929/http://news.indiana.edu/releases/iu/2015/08/first-flower-angiosperms.shtml |archive-date=4 March 2017 |url-status=dead }} It has been placed in the ceratophyllalean family Montsechiaceae.{{Cite journal |last1=Gomez |first1=Bernard |last2=Daviero-Gomez |first2=Véronique |last3=Coiffard |first3=Clément |last4=Barral |first4=Abel |last5=Martín-Closas |first5=Carles |last6=Dilcher |first6=David L. |date=2020 |title=Montsechia vidalii from the Barremian of Spain, the earliest known submerged aquatic angiosperm, and its systematic relationship to Ceratophyllum |journal=Taxon |volume=69 |issue=6 |pages=1273–1292 |doi=10.1002/tax.12409 |name-list-style=amp }}