Pteruchus africanus

Pteruchus africanus
Temporal range: Triassic
Pteruchus africanus fossil pollen organ, Late Triassic, Molteno Formation, Umkomaas, South Africa.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Order: †Corystospermales
Family: †Corystospermaceae
Genus: †Pteruchus
Species:
†P. africanus
Binomial name
†Pteruchus africanus
Thomas[1]

Pteruchus africanus is a pollen organ of a seed fern (Pteridospermatophyta). It was first described by Hamshaw Thomas [1] from the Umkomaas locality of South Africa.

Umkomasia macleani reconstruction of whole plant including leaves (Dicroidium odontopteroides, pollen organs (Pteruchus africanus based largely on material from the Umkomaas locality of South Africa[2]

Description

The pollen organs Pteruchus africanus differ from other species of Pteruchus in small size, and equant blade supporting the pollen sacs.

Whole plant reconstructions

Pteruchus africanus may have been produced by the same plant as Umkomasia macleanii (ovulate organs) and Dicroidium odontopteroides (leaves), based on cuticular similarities between these leaves and reproductive structures at the Umkomaas locality of South Africa.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c Thomas, .H. (1933). "On some pteridospermous plants from the Mesozoic rocks of South Africa". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. 222 (483–493): 193–265. doi:10.1098/rstb.1932.0016.
  2. ^ Retallack, G.J. & Dilcher, D.L (1988). "Reconstructions of selected seed ferns". Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. 75 (3): 1010–1057. doi:10.2307/2399379. JSTOR 2399379.


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