中国科学院南京地质古生物研究所机构知识库

A new lycopsid is described from the Upper Devonian (Famennian) of Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. It has isodichotomous branches and long leaves with spiny margins. Two types of fertile structures are present. Megasporangia-bearing conelike structures are found at dichotomies of the branches, having large, densely inserted leaves with enlarged bases, bearing adaxial sporangia containing large megaspores. The other type are terminal cones, having slender, closely inserted leaves, and dark carbonaceous areas adjacent to the axis are interpreted as the remains of microsporangia. The new plant closely resembles lycopsids previously reported from the Middle and lower Upper Devonian of China, but the reproductive characters are more advanced. It demonstrates that the early history of large lycopsids is more complex than has been recognized. We name the new plant Wuxia bistrobilata gen. et sp. nov.