Sprecher
Beschreibung
Marattialean tree ferns were major components of tropical wetland forests during the late Paleozoic. Fossil record of isolated organs is extremely rich, but most of them are morphspecies (e.g. Pecopteris) which covered the actual diversity of this group. The T0 fossil Lagerstätte known as Permian “vegetational Pompeii”/ Wuda Tuff Flora, has yielded numerous organically connected organs of Marattialean tree ferns. Here we present a whole-plant reconstructed marattialean tree fern Eoangiopteris congestus based on exceptionally preserved fossil materials from this locality. The plant is reconstructed as an arborescent fern (reach up to 7.8 m) with an upright Psaronius-type stem surrounded by a thin root mantle and topped by an apical crown of compound fronds. Fronds are tripinnate and pecopterid, whereas fertile pinnules assigned to Eoangiopteris and bear Apiculatisporites-type microspores. The oblong vegetative pinnule with decurrent midvein and once-bifurcated lateral veins can be compared with Pecopteris orientalis. Cabbage-shaped Aphlebiae occur in pairs and organically attached to petioles. Claupteris-type leaf scars and Stipitopterid rachis are also reported. Following Scolecopteris libera, current species represents the second whole-plant reconstructed Marattialean tree fern, and offers important insight into the diversity, growth habit, and ecological role of tree ferns in Early Permian peat-forming forest ecosystems of North China.