Asteroxylon

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iAsteroxylon
Conservation status
Extinct (fossil)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Lycopodiophyta
Class: Lycopodiopsida
Order: Drepanophycales
Family: Asteroxylaceae
Genus: Asteroxylon

Asteroxylon Kidston & Lang 1920
A genus of extinct plants of the Division Lycopodiophyta of Early Devonian age, found in Britain.

Asteroxylon mackiei Kidston & Lang (Type species)

[edit] Description

Extinct terrestrial vascular plants of the Early Devonian period. Stem up to 12 mm in diameter and 40 cm long, erect, branching dichotomously. Vascular bundle actinostele, tracheids of primitive annular or helical type (so-called G-type). Leaves are unbranched strap-shaped enations up to 5 mm long, a single vascular trace branches from the main bundle but stops at the base of the leaf.

Differs from externally similar genera of the same period, Drepanophycus and Baragwanathia, which have the vascular thread proceeding well into the leaf; see Drepanophycales for more details.

[edit] References

  • Kidston R & Lang WH (1920) On Old Red Sandstone plants showing structure, from the Rhynie chert bed, Aberdeenshire. Part III. Asteroxlon mackiei, Kidston and Lang. Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 52, 643-680.
  • The Rhynie Chert and Asteroxylon
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