Plumstead, Edna P.

Wits Institutional Repository on DSPACE

A GENERAL REVIEW OF THE DEVONIAN FOSSIL PLANTS FOUND IN THE CAPE SYSTEM OF SOUTH AFRICA by Edna P. Plumst ad CONTENTS SECTION I INTRODUCTION A. The reasons for revision 1. The inadequacy of prcviou records . 1 2. The availability of new material 1 3. The importance of outh African fossil flora in world trati-graphy . 2 4. Evolutionary significance 2 5. The importance of palaeontological records in the current search for oil 2 B. The material studied 1. Difficulties of cia sification 3 2. Source of the fossi I d scribed and acknowledgem.ents 3 A BRIEF URVEY OF THE GEOLOGY OF THE A. Th Cape Province Fold B It t. Distribution and folding 7 2. The Table Mountain eri orT.M. 7 3. The Bokkeveld Series 8 4. The Witteberg Serie 9 5. Conditions of Deposition 9 6. Derivation of the sedim nts 9 7. Map showing main outcrop and fossil localitie 10 B. orthern extension of the Cap y tem 1. In atal Il 2. In Malawi 11 3. In the Orange Frc tate II C. tratigraphical Position of Fos i1 Plants described Table 12 SECTION III DESCRIPTION OF THE FOSSIL PLANTS A. General 1. Naming of the fossils 2. Order of description 3. Growth and environments of the plants 4. Classified list of Plants described B. Sub-division Psilopsida 1. General 2. Genus Dutoitia Hoeg (a) Dutoitia pulchra Hoeg (b) Dutoitia alfreda sp. nov. (c) Dutoitia maraisia sp. nov. (d) Comparison of Dutoitia 3. Psilophytalean axes- De Dooms ( a) Occurrence (b) Description of specimens (c) Discussion and Comparison 4. PalaeostiBma sewardi Krausel and Dolianiti (a) History of genus . (b) Description of specimens . . (c) Details of the scars and discussion of their origin (d) Comparison and remarks . . . . . C. Sub-division Lycopsida I. General 2. Classification 3. Genus Drepanoph'ycus Goppert (a) Systematic position (b) General distribution (c) Drepanoph'ycus schwaTzi sp. nov. (d) Drepanophycus kowiense sp. nov. 4. Genus Protolepidodendron Krejci (a) General (b) Protolepidodendron eximium Frenguelli (c) Protolepidodendron theroni sp. nov. 5. Genus ArchaeosiBiIlaria Kidston (a) General . (b) Archaeosi8illaria caespitosa Schwarz nov. com. 6. Genus Leptophloeum Dawson (a) General (b) Leptophloeum rhombicum Dawson 13 13 13 13 14 14 14 15 16 17 18 18 19 20 22 23 24 25 26 27 27 27 28 30 31 31 32 34 35 39 39 (c) Leptophloeum australe (McCoy) Walton in Australia (i) History 39 (ii) Recent evidence of' occurrence and age in Australia 39 (d) Leptophloeum austraJe in Africa 41 7. The controversial genu Hapiostiama Seward 43 (a) The confusion in early descriptions 43 (b) Description of specim n of HapJostiama-old and ncw (i) to (vii) 44-(i) Paratype of H. irresulare spec. B 44-(ii) Paratype of H. irreaulare spec. V236 45 (iii) Type spec. H. irreouiare 45 (iv) H. irreauJare from. Port Alfred 46 (v) H. irreauJare from Schietkraal 48 (vi) Round scaned stems in sandstone 49 (vii) Indeterminable Lycopod 50 (c) Comparison with othcr fo il plants (1) Southern hemi pher 51 (ii) orthern hemi ph re 52 (d) Speculations on the common association of round and rhombic scarred st m in De onian rocks 53 (e) ummary of Haplostiama e idence and its systematic po i-tion 53 D. ub-divi ion phenop ida Genu -Calamophyton Kdiu 1 and Weyland 1. General 2. Calamophyton capensis p. no\'. 3. Oi cu sion and compari 'on E. Problematical Megaphyllous D' onian Plants F. 1. General 2. Pla9'phyllum albanense p. nov. 3. ignificance 4. Comparison 5. Archaeopteris, PSJBmophyllum tem of uncertain affinities 1. tem Type A 2. tern Type B 3. tem Type C 4. tem Type D 5. tern Type E 6. Discussion 54 55 56 57 58 58 58 59 59 60 60 61 61 61 SECTION IV CONTROVERSIAL ALGAL FOSSILS A. General 62 B. Algae from the Table Mountain Series 62 1. cf. Tontalia zollneri Frenguelli . 62 2. Discussion and comparison (a) Tontalia zollneri from Argentina 63 (b) Northern hemisphere Buthotrephis 64 C. Spirophyton or Zoophycus? 1. Brief history and summary of the controversy (a) 1842-1895 a vegetable origin assumed 65 (b) 1895 Invertebrate borings . 66 (c) 1903 Inorganic origin due to eddying water 66 (d) 1903 Vegetable origin re-iterated in South Africa 66 (e) 1954-1962 Invertebrate, probably worm-feeding burrows 66 (1) Plant origin still favoured in South Africa . . . 67 2. Spirophyton in South Africa (a) Stratigraphical occurrence and environment 67 (b) Biological associations 67 (c) Mineral matrix 68 (d) Appearance in the field 68 (e) Geographical distribution and historical record 68 3. Description of the specimens illustrated (a) Spirophyton Type' A' 70 (b) Spirophyton Type 'B' 70 (c) Spirophyton Type 'c' 71 (d) Spirophyton Type 'D' 71 4. Summary of the Discussion on Origin of Spirophyton 71 SECTION V SUMMARY OF THE FOSSIL FLORA OF THE CAPE SYSTEM A. Size of the Flora . 74 B. Environment 74 C. Suggestions about the environment of Psilopsida 75 D. Composition of the Flora. . . . . 75 E. Age 1. Age based on fossil plants . 76 2. Table showing comparative ages 77 3. Age based on fossil fish 77 F. Evolutionary significance . . . . 78 G. The Relationship between the fossil plants of the Cape System and other Devonian Floras . . . . . . . . . 78 

A general review of the Devonian fossil plants found In the Cape System of South Africa

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