Gemellitheca R.H.Wagner, C.R.Hill et El-Khayal

Plant Fossil Names Registry Number: PFN003242

Act LSID: urn:lsid:plantfossilnames.org:act:3242

Authors: R. H. Wagner, C. R. Hill & A. A. El-Khayal

Rank: genus

Reference for this name: Wagner, R. H., Hill, C. R. & El-Khayal, A. A. (1985): Gemellitheca gen. nov., a fertile pecopterid fern from the upper Permian of the Middle East. – Scripta Geolologica 79: 51–74. Not public

Page of description: 52

Type

Original diagnosis/description

Fronds at least bipinnate (known from fragments only), fragments either wholly vegetative or fertile, pinnules pecopterid. Fertile pinnules bearing elongate synangia on abaxial surface; synangia typically composed of two sporangial compartments (loculi) oriented at right angles to the pinnule midrib and margin and extending across the whole or almost the whole half-width of the pinnule, curving abaxially away from the lamina at their tips. Synangia borne at the distal ends of the lateral veins, laterally contiguous with neighbouring synangia to form an orderly row along the whole length of the pinnule half-width. Individual locules of each synangium large, exannulate, joined for most of their length to leave only their tips free. Spores initially shed into cavity between locules; spherical, alete to trilete, exospore ornamented with minute spines.

Etymology

A compound of gemellus (Lat.), twin-born or paired, and theca (Gk.), case or container; referring to the bilocular construction of the synangia.