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A novel lycopsid from the Upper Devonian of Jiangsu, China
Author(s) -
Wang Yi,
Berry Christopher M.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
palaeontology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.69
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1475-4983
pISSN - 0031-0239
DOI - 10.1046/j.0031-0239.2003.00342.x
Subject(s) - devonian , sporangium , paleontology , late devonian extinction , geology , appendage , carboniferous , spore , structural basin
A new lycopsid, Monilistrobus yixingensis gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Wutung Formation (Famennian, Upper Devonian) of Jiangsu, China. The plant has many features typical of other Upper Devonian lycopsids, including dichotomous branching, helically arranged obovate expanded leaf bases, linear leaves with spiny appendages along the lateral margins, sporophylls widened proximally, and one elliptical sporangium attached to the adaxial surface. The most distinctive novel feature of the plant is that the modified sporophylls are arranged tightly into fertile zones or cone‐like structures that are separated by lengths of axes with more lax sterile microphylls only: therefore the cone‐like structures are strung along the branches like beads on a necklace.