Psilophyton

For the obsolete group, see Psilophytopsida.

Psilophyton
Temporal range: Devonian
Acid-prepared P. crenulatum, National Museum of Natural History
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Class: †Trimerophytopsida
Order: †Trimerophytales
Family: †Trimerophytaceae
Genus: †Psilophyton
Dawson (1859)[1] emend. Hueber & H.P.Banks (1967)[2]
Type species
Psilophyton princeps
Dawson (1859)
Species
  • P. burnotense (Gilkinet) Kräusel & Weyland[3]
  • P. charientos Gensel (1979)[4]
  • P. coniculum Trant & Gensel (1985)[5]
  • P. crenulatum Doran (1980)[6]
  • P. dapsile Kasper et al. (1974)[7]
  • P. dawsonii H.P.Banks et al. (1975)[8]
  • P. forbesii Andrews et al. (1968)[9]
  • P. genseliae Gerienne (1997)[10]
  • P. krauselii Obrhel (1959)[11]
  • P. microspinosum Kasper et al. (1974)[7]
  • P. parvulum Gerienne (1995)[12]
  • P. princeps Dawson (1859)[1]
  • P. primitivum Hao & Gensel (1998)[13]
  • P. szaferi Zdebska (1986)[14]
Fossil of Psilophyton dawsonii

Psilophyton is a genus of extinct vascular plants. Described in 1859, it was one of the first fossil plants to be found which was of Devonian age (about 420 to 360 million years ago). Specimens have been found in northern Maine, USA; Gaspé Bay, Quebec and New Brunswick, Canada; the Czech Republic; and Yunnan, China. Plants lacked leaves or true roots; spore-forming organs or sporangia were borne on the ends of branched clusters. It is significantly more complex than some other plants of comparable age (e.g. Rhynia) and is thought to be part of the group from within which the modern ferns and seed plants evolved.

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Dawson1859 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference HueberBanks1967 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference SchwRebs88 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Gensel1979 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference TrantGensel1985 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Doran1980 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference KasperAndrewsForbes1974 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference BanksLeclercqHueber1975 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference AndrewsKasperMencher1968 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference Gerrienne1997 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference Obrhel1959 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference Gerrienne1995 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference HaoGensel1998 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference Zdebska1986 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).