The sporangia of Horneophyton lignieri (Kidston and Lang) Barghoorn and Darrah

doi:10.1016/0034-6667(79)90005-8

Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology

Volume 28, Issue 2, August 1979, Pages 137-144

https://doi.org/10.1016/0034-6667(79)90005-8 Get rights and content

Abstract

Two sporangia of Horneophyton lignieri are described in greater detail from new material collected from the Rhynie locality. The sporangia are branched repeatedly, with up to three successive dichotomies, resulting in five columellate lobes with a continuous spore cavity. Dehiscence is by a slit at the apex of each sporangial lobe. Stomata occur on tips of emergences in the sporangial wall.

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Horneophyton, a necessary change of name for Hornea
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A.A. Bhutta
Observations on the sporangia of Horneophyton lignieri (Kidston and Lang) Barghoorn and Darrah 1938
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The sporangium of Horneophyton lignieri (Rhyniophytina)
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W.El-S. El-Saadawy
Studies in the Flora of the Rhynie Chert

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Research on the earliest terrestrial plants often brings difficulties related to uncertain systematic classification. As plant macrofossils are usually poorly preserved, no internal anatomy is recorded thus enabling only morphological features to be used for plant description and classification. Most of these early land plants show dichotomous branching and terminal sporangia, placing them among the basal polysporangiophytes. However, some plants may exhibit unusual characteristics which raise further questions.
The classification of early terrestrial plants has been debated, with discussions about whether they exhibit features that more closely resemble bryophytes or tracheophytes. These debates point to distinct evolutionary pathways. The recent emergence of a new group of plants known as eophytes could represent a link between bryophytes and tracheophytes.
This manuscript focuses on a recently discovered Silurian fossil plant named Capesporangites petrkraftii gen. et sp. nov. The plant shows features reminiscent of bryophytes as elongated sporangium having a cap-like formation at the apex and a columella-like structure at the base but also fits into the classification of polysporangiophytes. The study highlights the difficulty of investigating the morphology of fossils with respect to preservation methods and emphasizes the importance of a thorough description of even minor aspects of early land plant fossils. This attention to detail contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the evolutionary path these plants have followed.
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$c>u ̈$ (Li et Cai) Li 1982 is an early land plant found in Xujiachong Formation (Emsian, Lower Devonian) from Yunnan Province, China. Its erect axes bear large and tiny lateral dichotomous branches. The large laterals are sterile and fertile. Round to reniform sporangia are terminal and dehisced along the distal margin into two equal halves. The tiny branches are vascularized and also arise from creeping axes. They are called root-like branch and may function as adventitious roots. Stomata are found on the axes, large branches and sporangial walls. Protostele is centrarch. Metaxylem tracheids possess close-set annular and spiral thickenings with simple pits between. The root-like branches, terminal sporangia and xylem tracheids of axes are restudied here.
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¹: Present address: Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Kuwait University (Kuwait).

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Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology

Abstract

References (11)

Observations on Nothia aphylla Lyon ex Hoeg

Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol

Horneophyton, a necessary change of name for Hornea

Harvard Univ. Bot. Mus. Leaflets

Observations on the sporangia of Horneophyton lignieri (Kidston and Lang) Barghoorn and Darrah 1938

Pakistan J. Bot.

The sporangium of Horneophyton lignieri (Rhyniophytina)

Am. J. Bot.

Studies in the Flora of the Rhynie Chert

Cited by (16)

New early land plant Capesporangites petrkraftii gen. et sp. nov. from the Silurian, Prague Basin, Czech Republic

Land plants in the Devonian Villavicencio formation, Mendoza Province, Argentina

c>u ̈, an Early Devonian plant from Yunnan Province, China and its bearing on some structures of early land plants

An alternative model for the earliest evolution of vascular plants

Organs and tissues of Rhynie chert plants

Reproductive organs and in situ spores of asteroxylon mackiei kidston & lang, the most complex plant from the lower devonian Rhynie chert