| Tortilicaulis | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Taxonomy | |
| Kingdom | |
| Class | |
| Genus |
†Tortilicaulis |
| Naming and discovery | |
| Botanist |
Edwards, 1979 |
Tortilicaulis was a genus of moss-like plants possibly included in the Horneophytopsida class. Fossils have been recovered from southern Britain spanning the Silurian-Devonian boundary. Originally recovered from the Downtonian of the Welsh borderlands, Tortilicaulis has been recovered in the Ludlow Lane locality.
Though it is generally accepted that this genus was moss-like, it has not yet been recovered in a good enough state of preservation to allow a detailed study necessary to assign it to a taxonomic group. The fossils consist of an elongated apical sporangium with spiralled walls attached to an undivided, twisted stalk. Unusually for plants at its time, the spores of Tortilicaulis were covered with small granules.
The initial suspicions of its describer, Dianne Edwards, were that it was a bryophyte, and comparisons have been made with several different groups. A potential association with the Takakia is supported by the features of the sporangia, such as its terminal position, elongated shape, and unusual twisting. Cladistic analasys suggests that the Tortilicaulis may be a member of the Horneophytopsida.
Species[]
- Tortilicaulis offaeus
- Tortilicaulis transwalliensis