GLEICHENIACEAEPHYLLUM SAN-MARTINI, A NEW NAME FOR GLEICHENITES SAN-MARTINI HALLE EMEND. HERBST 1962

VERA, E.; PASSALIA, M.G.

AMEGHINIANA

ASOCIACION PALEONTOLOGICA ARGENTINA

Lugar: Buenos Aires; Año: 2014 vol. 51 p. 78 - 80

0002-7014

Gleichenites was proposed by Goeppert 1836 with a brief diagnosis (?Frons dichotoma pinnata. Fructificatio hucusque ignota?) to include five species (G. linkii, G. neesii, G. artemisiaefolius, G. crithmifolius and G. neuropteroides), which were Paleozoic sterile fronds with dichotomous branching pattern. This genus has been widely used in the literature to include fern fronds similar to extant Gleichenia microphylla R.Br. However, a nomenclatural irregularity started when Goeppert?s original five species of Gleichenites were transferred to pteridospermalean taxa, such as Eremopteris and Sphenopteris (e.g., Schimper, 1869). Since Goeppert didn?t proposed a type species for the genus, it is unclear which genus is Gleichenites senior synonym. In any case, the genus Gleichenites poses a nomenclatural problem under the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants. A number of possible solutions to this problem were proposed by several authors. The most recent scheme to accommodate fossil ?Gleichenia-like? fronds of unequivocal gleicheniacean affinities (i.e., having dichotomously branched fronds with arrested laminar buds) has proposed their referral to Gleicheniaceaephyllum Crabtree emend. Nagalingum et Cantrill. Other superficially similar fronds that cannot with certainty be allied with the Gleicheniaceae ought to be assigned to Korallipteris Vera et Passalia 2012. , Since ?Gleichenites san-martinii? has dichotomous fronds with arrested laminar buds it should be re-assigned to Gleicheniaceaephyllum.