Nematophyte

The Nematophytes are a paraphyletic group of land organisms, probably including some plants as well as algae.Smith M.R. & Butterfield N.J. 2013. A new view on Nematothallus: coralline red algae from the Silurian of Gotland. Palaeontology 56 (2): 345–357. Niklas K.J. 1976. Chemical examinations of some non-vascular Paleozoic plants. Brittonia 28 (1): 113–137.  They are known only from the fossil record, from the Silurian period until the early Devonian Rhynie chert. Fayers, Stephen R. & Trewin, Nigel H. 2003. A review of the palaeoenvironments and biota of the Windyfield chert. Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh: Earth Sciences 94 (4).   

The lack of a clear definition of the nematophytes has led to it being used as a wastebasket taxon. All manner of tubes and cell-patterned cuticles from the Silurian are called "nematophytic".

 References 

Category:Plants
Category:Fossils