This is Mazon Monday post #273. What's your favorite Mazon Creek fossil? Tell us at email:[email protected].
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After Lesquereux (1879)
Neuropteris fimbriata is a seed fern. It has by found associated with Neuropters ovata and is considered a growth form of it.
N. fimbriata was described in 1866 by one the founders of American paleobotany Leo Lesquereux (1806-1889). Lesquereux was a Swiss-born bryologist. He was a close friend of Louis Agassiz and followed him to the United States in 1848. He worked as a consultant on multiple state geological surveys (including Illinois and Indiana), where he pioneered the study of Paleozoic fossil flora. Probably his best known work is "Atlas to the Coal Flora of Pennsylvania and the Carboniferous Formation throughout the United States", which is a three-volume publication that was the standard for U.S. carboniferous flora for many years.
Lesquereux in 1864
Neuropteris fimbriata can be found on page 202 of Jack Wittry's "A Comprehensive Guide to the Fossil Flora of Mazon Creek".
Neuropteris fimbriata Lesquereux, 1866
1866. Neuropteris fimbriata Lesquereux: p. 430
1870. Neuropteris fimbriata Lesquereux: p. 384, pl. 6, fig. 4
1879-80. Neuropteris fimbriata Lesquereux: p. 81, pl. 5, figs. 1-6
1958. Neuropteris fimbriata Lesquereux; Langford: p. 201, figs. 19, 20
1959. Fimbriated cyclopterids; Crookall: p. 150, pl. 33, figs. 3-6
1979. Neuropteris fimbriata Lesquereux; Janssen: p. 156, fig. 147DESCRIPTION: The pinnae are linear with striate rachises. The pinnules are alternate, distant, oblong or oval, and fringed from about the middle toward the apex. Many lateral veins enter the pinnule from the rachis through the pinnule's broad attachment. They are distinct and divide near the base, then spread out fan-wise.
REMARKS: Neuropteris fimbriata is uncommon. A cyclopterid form called Cyclopteris fimbriata was first described by Lesquereux based on a single pinnule. Later, he found a complete pinna of a neuropterid form and changed the name to Neuropteris fimbriata. He did not recognize its affinities with N. ovata at that time. It is now believed that N. fimbriata is a growth form of N. ovata and can be found wherever N. ovata is found.
Specimens
From Jack Wittry
Field Museum PP 58464 This specimen was collected by Jim and Sylvia Konecny from Dresden Lakes on August 5th, 1962.
From George's Basement. This specimen now resides at the Illinois State Museum.
