The structure of umkomasiacean fructifications from the Triassic of Queensland
2016
Pattemore Gary A.
The plant fossil genera Umkomasia Thomas 1933 and Pteruchus Thomas 1933 emend. Townrow 1962 are known chiefly from the Middle and Upper Triassic of Gondwana. The structure of these fructifications has been conjectural, some being identified as pinnate, others as helically arranged. Specimens from the Ladinian-lower Norian of Queensland (northeastern Australia) show that the female and male fructifications - U. geminata (Shirley 1898) Rigby in Playford et al. 1982 emend. nov. and P. dubius Thomas 1933 emend. Townrow 1962, respectively - have a bipinnate structure. Those fructifications and the bipinnate leaf, Dicroidium feistmantelii (Johnston 1894) Gothan 1912, probably all belonged to the same parent plant. It was first suggested by John Townrow in 1962 that the sporangial heads of P. dubius have a pinnate structure; this character is confirmed herein. Pteruchus is recorded for the first time from the Carnian Tarong Basin, Queensland.
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