Glossopteridales

Glossopteridales Temporal range:
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Spermatophyta
Order:	†Glossopteridales Plumstead 1956
Families
Glossopteridaceae Rigbyaceae Arberiaceae Lidgettoniaceae

Glossopteridales is an extinct order of plants belonging to Pteridospermatophyta, or seed ferns, also known as Arberiales and Ottokariales. They arose at the beginning of the Permian (298.9 million years ago) on the southern continent of Gondwana, but became extinct before the end of the Permian period (251.902 million years ago). The best known genus is Glossopteris. Other examples are Glossotheca and Vertebraria.

Permian permineralised glossopterid reproduction organs found in the central Transantarctic Mountains suggest seeds had an adaxial attachment to the leaf-like mega-sporophyll. This indicate Glossopteridales can be classified as seed ferns and is important in determining the status of the group as either close relatives or ancestors of the angiosperms.

Midrib-less forms were common in the Early Permian whereas midrib forms were more common in the Late Permian.

References

Notes

Sources

• Srivastava, A. K. (1991). "Evolutionary tendency in the venation pattern of Glossopteridales" (PDF). Geobios. 24 (4): 383–386. doi:10.1016/S0016-6995(06)80235-4. Retrieved 25 November 2017. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Taylor, E. L.; Taylor, T. N. (1992). "Reproductive biology of the Permian Glossopteridales and their suggested relationship to flowering plants". PNAS. 89 (23): 11495–11497. Bibcode:1992PNAS...8911495T. doi:10.1073/pnas.89.23.11495. PMC 50578. Retrieved 25 November 2017. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)

External links

• Glossipteridales