Devonian floras; a study of the origin of Cormophyta

作者：Edward Arber, Agnes Arber · 年份：1921 · DOI：10.5962/bhl.title.56742 · 被引用次数：38 · 研究领域：Plant Diversity and Evolution、Plant and Fungal Species Descriptions、Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils

the aid of abundant illustrations, collected from various sources.This chapter, and the corresponding one (the fifth) on the Archaeopteris Flora, will be of the greatest value to the student, vill PREFACE who will find here, in a small compass, an excellent comparative description of ancient fossils, often little known, the literature on which is much scattered and not always readily accessible.So far as I know, nothing of the kind has been attempted before, for the Devonian Floras, and I can testify to the great utility of the author's critical summary.Attention may be specially called to the evidence, which the author adduces, in favour of the generic identity of Psilophyton and Rhynia, an important conclusion, which will have to be taken into serious consideration.On the other hand the remarks on Halle's genus Sporogoniies, would undoubtedly have been modified, if the author could have been acquainted with the later evidence; this point is dealt with in a footnote on p. 45.Chapter IV, "A Discussion of the Nature and Affinities of the Psilophyton Flora," is of great theoretical importance.The author expresses his conviction that Psilophyton and all the other genera of that Flora "were much more probably Thallophyta than Pteridophyta"' (p.47).But he also points out that " Psilophyton,...while still Thallophytic in habit, may occupy anatomically a place half-way between the Thallophyta and Pteridophyta" (p.49).This was written early in 1918; it agrees very nearly with the sta...