A fossil bolster plant from the King River, Tasmania

A macrofossil of the alpine bolster plant Donatia novae-zelandiae was found in the King River Valley, approximately 230 m above sea level in central western Tasmania. The fossil was in situ on a palaeosol that appears to have formed immediately prior to the late Last Glacial Maximum. An age of 21 180 + 370 years b.p. was established by radiocarbon dating. Pollen and present day distributional data suggest that the tree line was then at least 750 m lower than at present, implying a temperature depression of about 4.5 0 C. Scanning electron-micrographs and photomicrographs of the extant and fossil bolster species are presented.