Nilssoniopteris is an extinct form genus of leaves belonging to the Bennettitales. Leaves are slender and often entire-margined (smooth-edged), though some species have dissected leaves with numerous small segments extending down to the rachis of the leaf.[1][2] Nilssoniopteris-like leaves are distinguished by their syndetocheilic stomata, indicating bennettitalean affinities. Similar "taeniopterid" leaves are placed in the genus Nilssonia if their stomata are instead haplocheilic (indicating cycad affinities), or Taeniopteris if the cuticle is not preserved.[3] Leaves of Nilssoniopteris vittata from the Middle Jurassic of England are associated with bisexual Williamsoniella reproductive structures.[4]

Nilssoniopteris
Temporal range: Kungurian–Lower Cretaceous
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Order: Bennettitales
Family: Williamsoniaceae
Genus: Nilssoniopteris
Nathorst, 1909
Type species
Nilssoniopteris tenuinervis
(Nathorst, 1880)
Synonyms

Taeniozamites Harris, 1932

References edit

  1. ^ Pott, Christian; Krings, Michael; Kerp, Hans (2007). "First Record of Nilssoniopteris (Gymnospermophyta, Bennettitales) from the Carnian (upper Triassic) of Lunz, Lower Austria". Palaeontology. 50 (5): 1299–1318. doi:10.1111/j.1475-4983.2007.00704.x. ISSN 1475-4983. S2CID 129403194.
  2. ^ Cleal, Christopher J.; Rees, P. McAllister; Zijlstra, Gea; Cantrill, David J. (2006). "A clarification of the type of Nilssoniopteris Nathorst (fossil Gymnospermophyta, Bennettitales)". Taxon. 55 (1): 219–222. doi:10.2307/25065546. hdl:1874/307500. ISSN 1996-8175. JSTOR 25065546. S2CID 86136067.
  3. ^ van Konijnenburg-van Cittert, Johanna H. A.; Pott, Christian; Cleal, Christopher J.; Zijlstra, Gea (2017-02-01). "Differentiation of the fossil leaves assigned to Taeniopteris, Nilssoniopteris and Nilssonia with a comparison to similar genera". Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology. 237: 100–106. doi:10.1016/j.revpalbo.2016.11.009. ISSN 0034-6667.
  4. ^ Pott, Christian; McLoughlin, Stephen (2014-06-01). "Divaricate growth habit in Williamsoniaceae (Bennettitales): unravelling the ecology of a key Mesozoic plant group". Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments. 94 (2): 307–325. doi:10.1007/s12549-014-0157-9. S2CID 84440045.