A NEW FOSSIL PLANT FROM THE EARLIEST CARBONIFEROUS OF CHINA.

A new plant fossil is reported from the earliest Carboniferous of Jiangsu, China. One main axis and two orders of branching with sterile and fertile appendages are known from compressions. The first-order branches are arranged helically on the main axis. The second-order branches are also arranged helically and consist of axes divided dichotomously up to four times, with some terminated by paired, erect sporangia. The sterile appendages are alternately inserted on the second-order branches and dichotomized up to five times with a sharp, outward-curved tip. A dense terminal branching system is attached on all branches, is composed of the closely arranged small branches, and represents the growing apex. Based on comparison with and differences from established taxa, we name the plant Helicophyton dichotomum gen. et sp. nov. and leave the classification of this plant incertae sedis. Keywords: earliest Carboniferous, China, plant fossil, Helicophyton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Journal of Plant Sciences is the property of University of Chicago Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)