Caytoniales

[5] The woody nature of associated stalks and preserved short shoots are evidence that Caytoniales were seasonally deciduous, shrubs and trees.The extra protection of the reproductive organs gave rise to the idea that Caytoniales were predecessors to angiosperms, which have completely enclosed seeds.The size of the pollen grains supports the idea that they were wind-pollinated, and their bisaccate wings may have enabled entry into the seed by a pollination drop mechanism."Most of the fruits were obtained by dissolving in hydrofluoric acid a single very small fragment of shale collected from Cape Stewart," he wrote.[1] While Thomas's original idea led many scientists to believe that Caytoniales may have been angiosperms, Harris's further research disproved this theory.The enclosure of ovules in Caytoniales has nevertheless been considered an early stage in evolution of the angiosperm double integument, and the carpels formed from an elaboration of their stalk (Fig.
Late TriassicEarly CretaceousPreꞒCaytonia nathorstiiScientific classificationPlantaeTracheophytesPteridospermatophytaCaytonanthusCaytoniaSagenopterisseed plantsfossilsMesozoic Eraseed fernsMiddle JurassicCloughton FormationYorkshirehorsetailsdeciduouscuticleangiospermspine treesgymnospermshydrofluoric acidCape StewartEvolutionary history of plantsSagenopteris phillipsiiStebbinsWikidataOpen Tree of LifePaleobiology DatabaseTropicos