Pecopteris aspera BRONGN., 1836

Pecopteris aspera BRONGN., 1836

Text-fig. 6c, d View Text-fig

1836 Pecopteris aspera BRONGN. , p. 339, pl. 120.

1901 Pecopteris (Dactylotheca) aspera f. sturii STERZEL , p. iii.

1923 Dactylotheca sturii (STERZEL) KIDSTON , p. 395, pl. 94, figs 4–6.

1939 Dactylotheca sturii (STERZEL) KIDSTON ; Radforth, p. 747, pl. 1, figs 10–22.

D e s c r i p t i o n. Fragments of pinnae with pinnules 2–5 mm long, 2–3 mm wide, inserted at near to right-angles. Pinnules rounded to linguaeform, broadly attached to rachis; midvein well-marked, extending for most of pinnule length, producing simple or occasionally one-formed, widely-spaced lateral veins. A few pinnules have up to 12 sporangia arranged in two rows, one on either side of midvein. Sporangia are single, oval with obtuse apex, ca. 0.5 mm long, with rudimentary apical annulus.

R e m a r k s. This species was recorded by Kidston (1924) as Dactylotheca sturii STERZEL but there is now general consensus that this species is indistinguishable from P. aspera (see Dalinval 1960). A detailed description (under the name D. sturii ) of the reproductive structures was given by Radforth (1939) based on specimens from the same locality as those described by Kidston (1924).

O c c u r r e n c e. Upper Limestone Formation, Cuthill

Shore, between Index and Orchard Limestones.