Glossopteris [etymology: from Ancient Greek γλῶσσα + πτερίς ] is the largest and best-known genus of the extinct Permian order of seed ferns known as Glossopteridales. The genus Glossopteris refers only to leaves, within a framework of form genera used in paleobotany. Species of Glossopteris were the dominant trees of the middle- to high-latitude lowland vegetation across the supercontinent Gondwana during the Permian Period. Glossopteris fossils were critical in recognizing former connections between the various fragments of Gondwana: South America, Africa, India, Australia, New Zealand, and Antarctica.
Bennettitales is an extinct order of seed plants that first appeared in the Triassic period and became extinct in most areas toward the end of the Cretaceous. Bennettitales are among the most common Mesozoic seed plants, and had morphologies including shrub and cycad-like forms. The foliage of bennettitaleans is superficially nearly indistinguishable from that of cycads, but they are distinguished from cycads by their more complex flower-like reproductive organs, at least some of which were likely pollinated by insects.
Pachypteris (Brongn.) T.M.Harris. is a Mesozoic pteridosperm leaf fossil probably belonging to the seed fern Order Peltaspermales.
Nilssonia is a genus of fossil foliage traditionally assigned to the Cycadophyta either in Cycadales or their own order Nilssoniales, though the relationships of this genus with the Cycadales have been put into question on chemical grounds.
Zamites is a genus of fossil tree known from the Mesozoic of North America, Europe and India through the Eocene of North America. It was erected as a form taxon for leaves that superficially resembled the extant cycad Zamia, however it is now believed to belong to a similar but phylogenetically different group, the cyacadeoids (Bennettitales). The fronds are linear or lanceolate in shape, and pinnately compound, with pinnae with parallel veins and smooth margins, and symmetrical and constricted at the base where they are attached obliquely to the upper surface of the rachis. It has been interpreted as a Bennettitalean plant in the family Williamsoniaceae.
This article records new taxa of fossil plants that are scheduled to be described during the year 2015, as well as other significant discoveries and events related to paleobotany that are scheduled to occur in the year 2015.
This article contains papers in paleobotany that were published in 2016.
This article records new taxa of plants that are scheduled to be described during the year 2017, as well as other significant discoveries and events related to paleobotany that are scheduled to occur in the year 2017.
This article records new taxa of plants that are scheduled to be described during the year 2018, as well as other significant discoveries and events related to paleobotany that occurred in the year 2018.
This article records new taxa of plants that were described during the year 2014, as well as other significant discoveries and events related to paleobotany that occurred in the year 2014.
This article records new taxa of fossil plants that are scheduled to be described during the year 2020, as well as other significant discoveries and events related to paleobotany that are scheduled to occur in the year 2020.
Ctenis is a genus of fossil foliage attributable to the Cycadales, being one of the most common genera of cycad fossil leaves in the Mesozoic.
Pterophyllum is an extinct form genus of leaves known from the Carnian to the Maastrichtian, belonging to the Bennettitales. It contains more than 50 species, and is mainly found in Eurasia and North America.
This article records new taxa of fossil plants that are scheduled to be described during the year 2021, as well as other significant discoveries and events related to paleobotany that are scheduled to occur in the year 2021.
Nilssoniopteris is an extinct form genus of leaves belonging to the Bennettitales. Leaves are slender and often entire-margined (smooth-edged), though some species have dissected leaves with numerous small segments extending down to the rachis of the leaf. Nilssoniopteris-like leaves are distinguished by their syndetocheilic stomata, indicating bennettitalean affinities. Similar "taeniopterid" leaves are placed in the genus Nilssonia if their stomata are instead haplocheilic, or Taeniopteris if the cuticle is not preserved.
Pelourdea is an extinct genus of conifer. Species belonging to the genus lived from the Triassic to the Middle Jurassic and have been found in Europe and North America.
This paleobotany list records new fossil plant taxa that were to be described during the year 2022, as well as notes other significant paleobotany discoveries and events which occurred during 2022.
This paleobotany list records new fossil plant taxa that were to be described during the year 2012, as well as notes other significant paleobotany discoveries and events which occurred during 2012.
Eoginkgoites is an extinct form genus of bennettitalean leaves from the Late Triassic of North America. Despite its palmate (hand-shaped) appearance similar to some early gingko species, it belongs to a different gymnosperm order, the Bennettitales. The leaf is deeply segmented into five to seven narrow, club-shaped lobes which twist around a very short rhachis. This leads to an overall fan-shaped leaf situated at the end of a long petiole. The leaf has paracytic stomata and veins which strongly branch and lead to a marginal vein at the edge of each leaflet. These structural traits are all shared with benettitaleans. Williamsonia carolinensis, an ovule-bearing bennettitalean cone, has been found closely associated with Eoginkgoites leaves, seemingly confirming its benettitalean identity.
Taeniopteris is an extinct form genus of Mesozoic vascular plant leaves, perhaps representing those of cycads, bennettitaleans, or marattialean ferns. The form genus is almost certainly a polyphyletic category for unfertile leaves of a certain shape ("taeniopterids") which cannot be assigned to specific groups due to a lack of information on cuticle or spore structures. The leaves are simple, with a strong central vein (rhachis) and an unbroken margin. The central vein leads to nearly perpendicular lateral veins, which may be slightly divided or undivided. The shape of the leaf is variable, but often elongated and smooth-edged. "Taeniopterid" leaves with bennettitalean-type cuticle are placed in the form genus Nilssoniopteris, while those with cycad-type cuticle are placed within Nilssonia and related genera. Some fertile "taeniopterids" preserve spore packages, and can be assigned to marattialean ferns.
4. Wang, Y. D., Ni, Q., Jiang, Z. K., & Tian, N. (2008). Diversity variation and tempo-spatial distribution of Otozamites (Bennettitales) in the Mesozoic of China. Palaeoworld, 17(3-4), 222–234.
5. Barale, G. (1987). New observations on Otozamites pterophylloides Schimper 1872, emend. Saporta 1874, from the Jurassic of France and Denmark. Review of palaeobotany and palynology, 51(1-3), 117–126.
6. Küpper, K. (1968). Die Gattung Otozamites. Taxon, 17(5), 548–552.
7. OHANA, T., & KIMURA, T. (1991, December). 929. PERMINERALIZED OTOZAMITES LEAVES (BENNETTITALES) FROM THE UPPER CRETACEOUS OF HOKKAIDO, JAPAN. In Transactions and proceedings of the Paleontological Society of Japan. New series (Vol. 1991, No. 164, pp. 944–963). Palaeontological Society of Japan.
