Pteruchus africanus is a pollen organ of a seed fern (Pteridospermatophyta). It was first described by Hamshaw Thomas [1] from the Umkomaas locality of South Africa.
| Pteruchus africanus Temporal range:
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|---|---|
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| Pteruchus africanus fossil pollen organ, Late Triassic, Molteno Formation, Umkomaas, South Africa. | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Order: | †Corystospermales |
| Family: | †Corystospermaceae |
| Genus: | †Pteruchus |
| Species: | †P. africanus
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| Binomial name | |
| †Pteruchus africanus Thomas[1]
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Description
editThe pollen organs Pteruchus africanus differ from other species of Pteruchus in small size, and equant blade supporting the pollen sacs.
Whole plant reconstructions
editPteruchus africanus may have been produced by the same plant as Umkomasia macleanii (ovulate organs) and Dicroidium odontopteroides (leaves), based on cuticular similarities between these leaves and reproductive structures at the Umkomaas locality of South Africa.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c Thomas, .H. (1933). "On some pteridospermous plants from the Mesozoic rocks of South Africa". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. 222 (483–493): 193–265. doi:10.1098/rstb.1932.0016.
- ^ Retallack, G.J. & Dilcher, D.L (1988). "Reconstructions of selected seed ferns". Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. 75 (3): 1010–1057. doi:10.2307/2399379. JSTOR 2399379.
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