New Observations on Drepanophycus spinaeformis from the Lower Devonian of Guizhou, China

Geng Bao-yin, Zhu Wei-qing

Received:1900-01-01 Revised:1900-01-01 Online:1994-07-18 Published:1994-07-18
Contact: Geng Bao-yin

Abstract:

Drepanophycus spinaeformis Goeppert is a plant of world-wide distribution in

the Lower Devonian. Although this species has been reported from numerous localities, it is

far from being understood well, because the fertile material is rare. Observation on speci-

mens from the Danlin Formation of Guizhou showed that the sporangia were borne on short

stalks attached laterally to the axes near the leaf axil, nearly sphaeroid, and smaller than

Rayner’ kidney sporangia. Howerer, other character, e. g. banded nutritive axis bearing

spiral drepanoid leaves, perforated tracheid wall, are the same as those described by Rayn-

er. We agree with Rayner in raising Drepanophycales to the status of class, Drepanophy-

copsida, parallel with Zosterophyllopsida and Lycopsida. The systematic position of

Drepanophycopsida is in between Zosterophyllopsida and Lycopsida. The class includes one

order, one family and three genera (Drepanophycus, Baragwanathia and Asteroxylon).

The fertile parts of the plant are reported for the first time in China.

Key words: Early Devonian, Drepanophycus spinaeformis, Sporangia, Tracheid

Geng Bao-yin, Zhu Wei-qing. New Observations on Drepanophycus spinaeformis from the Lower Devonian of Guizhou, China[J]. .

[1]	Wei Yin-xin. A New Species of Stigeoclonium (Chaetophoraceae, Ulotrichales) [J]. , 1994, 32(1): 98-100.
[2]	Geng Bao-Yin. Studies on Early Devonian Flora of Sichuan [J]. , 1992, 30(3): 197-211.

Knowledge