Prehistoric lycophytes

Lepidodendron, from Ancient Greek λεπίς (lepís), meaning "scale", and δένδρον (déndron), meaning "tree", is an extinct genus of primitive lycopodian vascular plants belonging to the order Lepidodendrales. It is well preserved and common in the fossil record. Like other Lepidodendrales, species of Lepidodendron grew as large-tree-like plants in wetland coal forest environments. They sometimes reached heights of , and the trunks were often over in diameter. They are often known as "scale trees", due to their bark having been covered in diamond-shaped leaf-bases, from which leaves grew during ear

Lepidodendrales (from the Greek for "scale tree") or arborescent lycophytes are an extinct order of primitive, vascular, heterosporous, arborescent (tree-like) plants belonging to Lycopodiopsida. Members of Lepidodendrales are the best understood of the fossil lycopsids due to the vast diversity of Lepidodendrales specimens and the diversity in which they were preserved; the extensive distribution of Lepidodendrales specimens as well as their well-preservedness lends paleobotanists exceptionally detailed knowledge of the coal-swamp giants’ reproductive biology, vegetative development, and role

Sigillaria is a genus of extinct, spore-bearing, arborescent lycophyte, known from the Carboniferous and Permian periods. It is related to the more famous Lepidodendron, and more distantly to modern quillworts.

REDIRECT Pleuromeiaceae

Stigmaria is a form taxon for common fossils found in Carboniferous rocks. They represent the underground rooting structures of arborescent lycophytes such as Sigillaria and Lepidodendron under the order Lepidodendrales.

The Sawdoniales are an order or plesion of extinct zosterophylls. The zosterophylls were among the first vascular plants in the fossil record, and share an ancestor with the living lycophytes. The group has been divided up in various ways. In their major cladistic study of early land plants, Kenrick and Crane placed most of the zosterophylls in the Sawdoniales (which they treated as a plesion).

The Protolepidodendrales are an extinct order of lycopsids that flourished from the Devonian to the lower Carboniferous (Mississippian) periods.

Pleuromeia is an extinct genus of lycophytes related to modern quillworts (Isoetes). Pleuromeia dominated vegetation during the Early Triassic across Eurasia and elsewhere, in the aftermath of the Permian–Triassic extinction event. During this period, it often occurred in monospecific assemblages. Its sedimentary context in monospecific assemblages on immature paleosols is evidence that it was an opportunistic pioneer plant that grew on mineral soils with little competition. It spread to high latitudes under greenhouse climatic conditions.

Adoketophyton is a genus of extinct vascular plants of the Early Devonian (Pragian stage, around ). The plant was first described in 1977 based on fossil specimens from the Posongchong Formation, Wenshan district, Yunnan, China. These were originally named Zosterophyllum subverticillatum; later the species was transferred to a new genus as Adoketophyton subverticillatum. One cladistic analysis suggested that it is a lycophyte, related to the zosterophylls. Other researchers regard its placement within the vascular plants as uncertain.

genus of plants (fossil)