page_title: Pteridospermatophyta
section_title: Taxonomy
hierarchical_section_title: Pteridospermatophyta / Taxonomy
caption_attribution_description: English: Pteridospermales. Specimen at Natural History Museum, Gothenburg.
context_page_description: The term Pteridospermatophyta refers to several distinct polyphyletic groups of extinct seed-bearing plants. The earliest fossil evidence for plants of this type is the genus Elkinsia of the late Devonian age. They flourished particularly during the Carboniferous and Permian periods. Pteridosperms declined during the Mesozoic Era and had mostly disappeared by the end of the Cretaceous Period, though some pteridosperm-like plants seem to have survived into Eocene times, based on fossil finds in Tasmania.
  The concept of pteridosperms goes back to the late 19th century when palaeobotanists came to realise that many Carboniferous fossils resembling fern fronds had anatomical features more reminiscent of the modern-day seed plants, the cycads. In 1899 the German palaeobotanist Henry Potonié coined the term "Cycadofilices" for such fossils, suggesting that they were a group of non-seed plants intermediate between the ferns and cycads.
context_section_description: Family ?†Avatiaceae Anderson & Anderson (2003)
  Order ?†Alexiales Anderson & Anderson (2003)
  Family †Alexiaceae Anderson & Anderson (2003)
  Order ?†Hamshawviales Anderson & Anderson (2003)
  Family †Hamshawviaceae Anderson & Anderson (2003)
  Order ?†Hexapterospermales Doweld (2001)
  Family †Colpospermaceae Doweld (2001)
  Family †Hexapterospermaceae Doweld (2001) nom cons. [Potonieaceae (Halle (1933)) Remy & Remy (1959) emend. Anderson & Anderson (2007)]
  Order ?†Hlatimbiales Anderson & Anderson (2003)
  Family †Hlatimbiaceae Anderson & Anderson (2003)
  Order ?†Matatiellales Anderson & Anderson (2003)
  Family †Matatiellaceae Anderson & Anderson (2003)
  Order ?†Petriellales Taylor et al. (1994)
  Family †Petriellaceae Taylor, del Fueyo & Taylor (1994)
  Family †Kannaskoppiaceae Anderson & Anderson (2003)
  Order †Umkomasiales Doweld (2001) [Corystospermales; Corystophytina]
  Family †Angaropeltidaceae Doweld (2001)
  Family †Umkomasiaceae Petriella (1981) (Corystospermaceae (Thomas (1933)) Stockey & Rothwel nom. illeg.; Zuberiaceae Němejc (1968)]
  Class ?†Arberiopsida Doweld (2001) [Clealopsida]
  Order †Dicranophyllales Meyen (1984) emend. Anderson, Anderson & Cleal (2007)
  Family †Dicranophyllaceae Archangelsky & Cúneo (1990
  Order †Aberiales Meyen (1984) [Noeggerathopsidales Nemejc (1968)]
  Family †Schmeissneriaceae Zhou (1997)
  Family †Arberiaceae (Rigby (1972) Anderson & Anderson (1985) [Noeggerathopsidaceae Feistmantel (1879)]
  Class ?†Axelrodiopsida Anderson & Anderson
  Order †Axelrodiales Anderson & Anderson (2007)
  Family †Zamiostrobacea Anderson & Anderson (2007)
  Family †Axelrodiaceae Anderson & Anderson (2007)
  Class †Moresnetiopsida Doweld (2001) [Moresnetiophyta Doweld (2001); Elkinsiophytina]
  Order †Calamopityales Němejc (1963)
  Family †Calamopityaceae (Solm. (1896)) Scott (1909) [Buteoxylaceae Barnard & Long (1973); Stenomyelaceae Scott (1923); Buteoxylonaceae]
  Order †Tetrastichiales Němejc (1968)
  Family †Tetrastichiaceae Němejc (1968)
  Order †Pullarithecales Doweld (1998)
  Family †Gnetopsidaceae Doweld (2001)
  Family †Pullarithecaceae Doweld (1998
  Family †Calathiopsidaceae Doweld (2001)
  Family †Austrocalyxaceae Vega & Archangelsky (2001)
  Order †Moresnetiales Doweld (2001)
  Family †Eurystomataceae Long (1975)
  Family †Eospermatacesidae Long (1975)
  Family †Moresnetiaceae Němejc (1963) emend. Anderson, Anderson & Cleal (2007) [Genomospermaceae Long (1975); Elkinsiaceae Rothwell, Scheckler & Gillespie (1989) ex Cleal; Hydraspermaceae]
  Class †Lyginopteridopsida Novák (1961) emend. Anderson, Anderson & Cleal (2007) [Lagenostomatopsida Cleal (1993); Lyginopteridophyta Doweld (2001); Lyginopteridophytina]
  Order †Lyginopteridales (Corsin (1960)) Havlena (1961) [Lagenostomatales Seward ex Long (1975); Lyginodendrales Nemejc (1968); Pityales]
  Family †Lyginopteridaceae Potonie (1900) emend. Anderson, Anderson & Cleal (2007) [Lagenostomataceae Long (1975; Pityaceae Scott (1909); Lyginodendraceae Scott (1909); Sphenopteridaceae Gopp. (1842); Pseudopecopteridaceae Lesquereux (1884); Megaloxylaceae Scott (1909), nom. rej.; Rhetinangiaceae Scott (1923), nom. rej.; Tetratmemaceae Němejc (1968)]
  Class †Pachytestopsida Doweld (2001) [Medullosopsida nom. nud.; Trigonocarpopsida nom. nud.; Medullosae]
  Order †Codonospermales Doweld (2001)
  Family †Codonospermaceae Doweld (2001) emend. Anderson, Anderson & Cleal (2007)
  Order †Pachytestales Doweld (2001) (Medullosales Corsin (1960); Trigonocarpales nom. inv.; Neuropteridales]
  Family †Potonieaceae Halle (1933) emend. Anderson, Anderson & Cleal (2007) [Rachivestitaceae; Perispermaceae]
  Family †Polylophospermaceae Doweld (2001) emend. Anderson, Anderson & Cleal (2007)
  Family †Stephanospermaceae Doweld (2001) emend. Anderson, Anderson & Cleal (2007)
  Family †Neurodontopteridaceae Laveine (1966) [incl. Odontopteridaceae Trapl (1926) sensu Corsin (1960)]
  Family †Pachytestaceae Doweld (2001) [Medullosaceae (Gopp. (1842)) Sterzel (1896); Whittleseyaceae Remy & Remy (1959); Callipteridaceae Corsin ex Wagner (1965); Callipteridiaceae; Callipteraceae; Protoblechnidaceae]
  Family †Alethopteridaceae (Lesquereux (1884)) Corsin (1960) eme
caption: Pteridospermatophyte fossil
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