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Spores of the Rhynie chert plant Horneophyton lignieri (Kidston & Lang) Barghoorn & Darrah, 1938

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 July 2007

Charles H. Wellman
Affiliation:
Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Alfred Denny Building, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
Hans Kerp
Affiliation:
Forschungsstelle für Paläobotanik, Westfälische Wilhelms- Universität, D-4400 Münster, Germany.
Hagen Hass
Affiliation:
Forschungsstelle für Paläobotanik, Westfälische Wilhelms- Universität, D-4400 Münster, Germany.

Abstract

Detailed studies have been undertaken on in situ spores of the plant Horneophyton lignieri (Kidston & Lang) Barghoorn & Darrah, 1938 preserved in the Rhynie chert. It is concluded that mature spores are trilete, with proximal radial ribbing, and a distal ornament of coni. These spores are identical to Emphanisporites decoratus Allen, 1965, a widely reported and morphologically distinctive dispersed spore taxon. Emphanisporites decoratus is a common element of dispersed spore assemblages from throughout the stratigraphical sequence of the Rhynie outlier, and it is concluded that the dispersed spore taxon E. decoratus was produced by H. lignieri. The nature (reproductive biology, ecology and distribution) of H. lignieri is interpreted on the basis of evidence from the dispersed spore record from the Rhynie outlier and elsewhere. It is concluded that H. lignieri was a common and widespread plant of the Lower Devonian. It flourished in the unusual hot springs environment of the Rhynie chert because it was preadapted to do so, not because it was a highly specialized and adapted plant. Integrated evidence from the in situ and dispersed spore records permits a detailed consideration of the biology of the plant H. lignieri.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Royal Society of Edinburgh 2003

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