Pallaviciniites

Pallaviciniites devonicus Temporal range: Frasnian PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Marchantiophyta
Class:	Jungermanniopsida
Order:	Metzgeriales
Genus:	†Pallaviciniites Schuster 1966 (Hueber, 1961)
Species:	†P. devonicus
Binomial name
Pallaviciniites devonicus Schuster 1966 (Hueber, 1961)
Synonyms
Hepaticites Hueber 1961[1]

The lowermost Upper Devonian fossil Pallaviciniites was for a time the oldest known liverwort until Metzgeriothallus was recovered from earlier Devonian strata.^[2]

It had a central axis, and bifurcated at its tips; similar fossils have been found in younger strata through to the Pleistocene.^[3] With the exception of its elongated axial conducting (non-vascular) cells, the thallus was a single cell thick.^[4] It had a serrated margin.^[1]

Prior to its discovery, the oldest known liverworts dated to the Lower Carboniferous.^[3]

References

1. Hueber, F. M. (1961). "Hepaticites devonicus, a New Fossil Liverwort from the Devonian of New York". Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. 48 (2): 125–131. doi:10.2307/2394879. JSTOR 2394879.
2. Hernick, L.; Landing, E.; Bartowski, K. (2008). "Earth's oldest liverworts—Metzgeriothallus sharonae sp. Nov. From the Middle Devonian (Givetian) of eastern New York, USA". Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology. 148: 154. doi:10.1016/j.revpalbo.2007.09.002.
3. Chopra, R. N (1998). Topics in bryology. ISBN 978-81-7023-811-9.
4. Banks, H. (1975). "The oldest vascular land plants: A note of caution". Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology. 20: 13–69. doi:10.1016/0034-6667(75)90004-4.