Revision of the Late Bashkirian Cordaitalean Cordaites karvinensis and Allied Dispersed Cuticles from Upper Silesia, the Czech Republic

Abstract

Abstract The Langsettian species Cordaites karvinensis Šimůnek and C. sustae Šimůnek were found conspecific, with C. karvinensis chosen as a correct name. These species come from the same coal seam of the Upper Suchá Member (Upper Silesian Basin, the Czech Republic). Abaxial cuticle from C. karvinensis was found conspicuously similar to Cordaabaxicutis cf. jaworznoensis from the Lower Suchá Member from the strata near the Namurian/Westphalian boundary, as well as to Cordaabaxicutis jaworznoensis Šimůnek et Florjan described from the Orzesze Beds (Duckmantian) from Poland. The abaxial cuticles of all these species are papillate. It is probable that these species are members of one evolutionary lineage, however without information on the leaf morphology connected to the dispersed cuticles of Cordaabaxicutis, this opinion remains hypothetical.