Botryopteris trisecta

Name

Botryopteris trisecta

Rank

Species

Generic Name

[Genus] Botryopteris

Authors (Pub.)

Mamay S. H. Andrews H. N.  

Publication

A contribution to our knowledge of the anatomy of Botryopteris [1950/12]

Journal

Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club

Volume

77

Issue

6

Page number

483

Year

1950

Parent Taxon

[Genus] Botryopteris

Fossil Status

stems (with petioles & pinnae)

Stratigraphy

Upper Pennsylvanian

Strat. comment

McLeansboro Group

Location

Southern Illinois, USA

Paleoregion

Laurussia (Laurentia)

Data for Holotypus

Repository

Henry Shaw School of Botany, St. Louis, USA

Repository Number

WCB684

Diagnosis

Stem not exceeding 1 cm. in diameter; cortex with a median zone of dense sclerotic-secretory tissue; stele terete, protostelic, to 2 mm. in diameter, with exarch xylem; ultimate pitting multiseriate-reticulate. Petiolar segments departing at divergences of 120 degrees, and trisecting to form a median petiole and two lateral primary pinnae. Petioles to 6 mm. in diameter with tridentate traces 1.2 mm. wide, the arms directed adaxially with protoxylem at the tips of the arms and along the outer surfaces of the lateral arms; pronounced intraxylary selerenchyma present. Primary pinna segments trisecting to form median, distal and proximal secondary pinnae. Distal secondary pinnae averaging 3.5 mm. in diameter, with small terete traces, and dividing di or trichotomously. Median secondary pinnae averaging 5 mm. in diameter; traces tridentate, to .8 mm. in width, and with the arms directed toward the parent petiole. Proximal secondary pinnae averaging 5 mm. in diameter, with generally stem-like organization of tissues. Pinnae dividing repeatedly, more or less dichotomously, one branch or each divisions assuming a pendant position and ultimately dichotomizing. Roots diarch, not exceeding 1 mm. in diameter. Epidermis with multicellular hairs reachinig 900 µm in length