The taxonomic status of the genus Rubidgea | Zendy

E Kovacs-Endrody | Zendy

AI Assistant Blog Pricing

Home ZAIA Blog

Open Access

The taxonomic status of the genus <i>Rubidgea</i>

Author(s) -

E Kovacs-Endrody

Publication year - 1977

Publication title -

bothalia

Language(s) - English

Resource type - Journals

SCImago Journal Rank - 0.457

H-Index - 20

eISSN - 2311-9284

pISSN - 0006-8241

DOI - 10.4102/abc.v12i2.1423

Subject(s) - synonym (taxonomy) , genus , botany , paleontology , type species , oil shale , biology

The genus Rubidgea Tate of the fossil family Glossopteridaceae was reduced to a synonym of Glossopteris by Seward (1907). Seward’s conclusion is now confirmed by a study of a wide range of imprints from a quarry near Hammanskraal, South Africa. The upper and lower surface imprints of a single leaf found on a split fragment of carbonaceous shale provides the main evidence presented. The finely striated upper surface imprint of the leaf could be identified with Rubidgea, whereas the lower surface imprint represents the typical strong venation of a Glossopteris. The type species of Rubidgea is transferred to Glossopteris as G. mackayi (Tate) Kovacs comb. nov. The characteristics of upper and lower surface imprints of a number of Glossopteris species are discussed.