scholarly journals Taungurungia gen. nov., from the Lower Devonian of Yea, central Victoria, Australia

2022 ◽  
pp. 43-53
Author(s):  
Fearghus R. McSweeney ◽  
Jeff Shimeta ◽  
John St J.S. Buckeridge
Keyword(s):  
Lower Devonian ◽  
New Genus ◽  
Land Plants ◽  
New Taxon ◽  
Internal Anatomy ◽  
Central Victoria ◽  
Early Land

This paper records a new genus Taungurungia, which is the first new taxon with emergences to be described from the Lower Devonian of Victoria. The fossil is preserved primarily as a compression and impression, and lacks internal anatomy. The fossil extends our knowledge of known variations within early land plants, with most characteristics, such as emergences and H- or K-branching, redolent of affinities with the zosterophylls. However, having a large ovate terminal sporangium, the fossil adds to taxa that in some cases have been provisonally allied to the zosterophylls with elongate sporangia; this further demonstrates the need for reassessment of the Zosterophyllopsida.

scholarly journals Early land plants from the Lower Devonian of central Victoria, Australia, including a new species of Salopella

2021 ◽  
pp. 193-205
Author(s):  
Fearghus R. McSweeney ◽  
Jeff Shimeta ◽  
John St J.S. Buckeridge
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Lower Devonian ◽  
Land Plants ◽  
Fossil Plants ◽  
Central Victoria ◽  
Upper Silurian ◽  
Early Land ◽  
A New Species ◽  
Branching Architecture

Early land plants with elongate sporangia held in the palaeobotanical archives of Museums Victoria were examined. The fossil plants are from Yea (?upper Silurian) and near Matlock (Lower Devonian) in central Victoria, and are of interest because they contribute to our understanding of the evolution of early land plants in a region in which research has been limited. Both Salopella australis and Salopella caespitosa were originally described over 30 years ago and this reinvestigation has resulted in the emending of the diagnosis of Salopella australis and the erection of a new morphotaxon Salopella laidae sp. nov. based primarily on differing branching architecture and sporangial morphology. Salopella laidae comes from Yea Formation and possesses regular isotomous branching over at least two orders of branching, terminating in elongate sporangia that are wider than their subtending axes, differing from S. australis, which possesses only one dichotomy emanating from at least two erect parallel parent axes with sporangia that are the same width as their subtending axes. A recently collected specimen of Salopella caespitosa was also examined and adds to our understanding of this taxon, which was previously only known from one specimen. Consideration is given to the possible sources of these early land plants based on other early land plants with a similar grade of organisation.

A new vascular plant from the Lower Devonian Windyfield chert, Rhynie, NE Scotland

1999 ◽  
Vol 90 (4) ◽  
pp. 331-349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clare L. Powell ◽  
Dianne Edwards ◽  
Nigel H. Trewin
Keyword(s):  
Lower Devonian ◽  
New Genus ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
New Taxon ◽  
New Genus And Species ◽  
Rhynie Chert ◽  
Microbial Film

AbstractTwo plants are described from fragmentary remains preserved in the Windyfield chert, situated c. 600 m from the classic Rhynie chert locality. Both are sometimes coated by a microbial film. The larger, fertile axes are placed in the new genus and species Ventarura lyonii. They possess a distinctive, sclerenchymatous middle cortex and terete xylem, and marginally dehiscent, lateral sporangia. The new taxon is similar to the Rhynie zosterophyll Trichopherophyton teuchansii, but is placed in a new genus on sporangial differences. Associated smaller axes with unicellular epidermal outgrowths lack the middle cortex of the larger axes and often have medullated protosteles. They are interpreted as subterranean rhizomes and probably belong to the new fertile taxon, but organic continuity between the two has not been demonstrated.

The Early Devonian (Pragian) zosterophyll Bathurstia denticulata Hueber

2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michele E Kotyk ◽  
James F Basinger
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Relationships ◽  
Lower Devonian ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Land Plants ◽  
Canadian Arctic Archipelago ◽  
Large Collection ◽  
Early Devonian ◽  
Northern Canada ◽  
Early Land

Approximately 86 specimens of Bathurstia denticulata Hueber were collected from upper Bathurst Island and lower Stuart Bay beds of Bathurst Island, Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Bathurstia was a component of a zosterophyll-dominated flora of Pragian age (Lower Devonian) that existed at low paleolatitudes in northern Canada. The large collection of well-preserved materials permits reconstruction of the plant as a robust scrambler of about 30 cm in height. Stems bear short, shelf-like emergences in two rows, and branch isotomously, although sparsely. Rooting organs, representing some of the oldest known for land plants, arise from the main aerial axes, although they are also associated with small, subordinate shoots interpreted as plantlets. Numerous specimens are fertile, with sporangia borne in dense terminal spikes. Spikes include two rows of overlapping, discoid sporangia. Isospores are round and featureless, and assignable to the genus Calamospora. While Bathurstia apparently originated from among the isotomously branching bilaterally symmetrical zosterophylls, the phylogenetic relationships of Bathurstia to known taxa is unclear, although some resemblance to Serrulacaulis, Barinophytaceae, and the Gosslingiaceae can be documented. Bathurstia denticulata is now one of the best known of early land plants, and contributes significantly to our understanding of zosterophylls and their role in Early Devonian vegetation.Key words: Bathurstia, zosterophyll, Devonian, Canada, Arctic, evolution.

The early land plants from the Armorican Massif: sedimentological and palynological considerations on age and environment

2010 ◽  
Vol 147 (6) ◽  
pp. 830-843 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHRISTINE STRULLU-DERRIEN ◽  
CÉLINE DUCASSOU ◽  
MICHEL BALLÈVRE ◽  
MARIE-PIERRE DABARD ◽  
PHILIPPE GERRIENNE ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lower Devonian ◽  
Age Determination ◽  
Land Plants ◽  
Variscan Belt ◽  
The South ◽  
History Of ◽  
Armorican Massif ◽  
First Time ◽  
Early Land ◽  
Emergence Event

AbstractThe Châteaupanne Unit belongs to the South Armorican domain of the Armorican Massif (France), which is part of the Variscan belt. This unit includes two Lower Devonian plant levels and one of them corresponds to the Basal Member of the Chalonnes Formation. A sedimentological and palaeontological analysis of these fossiliferous deposits from the Châteaupanne quarry (Montjean/Loire, Maine et Loire, France) is presented here for the first time. The age determination based on palynology indicates that the locality records the earliest occurrence of plant megafossils in the Armorican Massif. Their presence suggests an emergence event that has never been described before. Our study highlights the promising potential of the Basal Member of the Chalonnes Formation to aid in understanding these occurrences, and provides new insights into the history of the Variscan belt.

Notes on Early Land Plants Today. 52. Validation of Tritomaria camerunensis (Lophoziaceae, Marchantiophyta)

Phytotaxa ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 167 (2) ◽  
pp. 215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiri Vana ◽  
Lars Söderström ◽  
Anders Hagborg ◽  
Matt Von Konrat
Keyword(s):  
Land Plants ◽  
New Taxon ◽  
New Subspecies ◽  
Close Affinity ◽  
Early Land ◽  
Subspecific Level ◽  
Do So

When describing Tritomaria camerunensis Arnell (1958: 64), Arnell based it on more than one gathering (Byström 35b and 50a) and it is thus invalid according to ICN Art. 40.2 (McNeill et al. 2012), a rule effective from 1 January 1958 saying that “indication of the type ... can be achieved by reference to an entire gathering” and Ex. 1 explicitly states that. This error was overlooked by Váňa (1982) who selected a “lectotype” out of Byström’s collection. However, that did not validate the name. In order to be available for the forthcoming world checklist of hornworts and liverworts (Söderström et al., in prep.) the taxon is here validated. As Arnell’s name is invalid, the description here is technically a new taxon. Schuster (1969: 639) did mention the close affinity to Tritomaria exsectiformis (Breidler 1894: 321) Loeske (1909: 13) “this may represent a disjunct phase of T. exsectiformis” but Váňa (1982) preferred to keep them separate until more material was studied. However, when the taxon needs to be validated, we prefer to do so at subspecific level. The new subspecies differs from. subsp. exsectiformis in larger size of plants (mostly 2–2.5 cm long vs. 1.2–2.0 cm long), constantly prostrate, never ascending shoots, dorsally secund, mostly bilobed leaves (trilobed leaves rare, only on the top of shoots), somewhat smaller and longer cells (up to 20 × 30–40 μm) than is the average cells size of Tritomaria exsectiformis subsp. exsectiformis, and rounded, angular to polygonal, 1–2–celled (vs. constantly 2–celled, irregularly polygonal to pyriform) gemmae.

scholarly journals Notes on Early Land Plants Today. 42. Validation of Nanomarsupella (Gymnomitraceae, Marchantiophyta)

Phytotaxa ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 112 (1) ◽  
pp. 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANDERS HAGBORG ◽  
LARS SÖDERSTRÖM ◽  
MATT VON KONRAT
Keyword(s):  
Type Species ◽  
New Genus ◽  
Land Plants ◽  
New Combination ◽  
New Subgenus ◽  
Early Land

 Schuster (1978) described Marsupella xenophylla together with his new subgenus Nanomarsupella stating they were valid as generico-specific descriptions (ICN Art. 38.5; McNeill et al. 2012). However, as it was not described with a new genus but instead with new subgenus it is not validly described. However, the species is regarded as validly described here. Schuster (1996) then intended to elevate the subgenus to a genus but as the proposed basionym is not valid and no description was provided, his new genus is invalid as well as his proposed new combination of type species.

scholarly journals Notes on Early Land Plants Today. 45. A correction

Phytotaxa ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 152 (1) ◽  
pp. 48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jíri Váňa ◽  
Lars Söderström ◽  
Anders Hagborg ◽  
Matt Von Konrat
Keyword(s):  
New Genus ◽  
Land Plants ◽  
Generic Rank ◽  
Early Land

Váňa et al. (2013) elevated Anastrophyllum subgen. Schizophyllum (Schuster 1969: 739) to generic rank as Schizophyllum (R.M.Schust.) Váňa & L.Söderstr. (2013: 16), overlooking the genus Schizophyllum Nuttall (1841: 452; Asteraceae) and, thereby creating an illegitimate later homonym. This is corrected here by publication of the new genus Schizophyllopsis and the transfer of all species of Schizophyllum (R.M.Schust.) Váňa et al. to that genus. Despite the generic name itself being illegitimate, names published under Schizophyllum (R.M.Schust.) Váňa & L.Söderstr. are legitimate under ICN Art. 55.1 (see below). 

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