The triassic conifer seed cone Glyptolepis

A new species of the voltzialean seed cone Glyptolepis is described from the Late Triassic of Germany. Specimens of Glyptolepis richteri sp, nov. are large (up to 14.0 cm long, 3.5 cm wide) and contain numerous small, helically arranged bract scale complexes. Each cone scale is composed of eight uniform lobes, each with an obtuse apex. The bract is fused to the long cone scale stalk and expands distally into a somewhat diamond-shaped laminar unit that completely covered the underlying cone scale. A reconsideration of other fossils assigned to Glyptolepis suggests that all except the type material of Glyptolepis keuperiana Schimper, are erroneously assigned to the genus. Although Glyptolepis is considered a key taxon in some concepts of conifer phylogeny, evidence is presented to suggest that most reconstructions of this genus are based on inaccurate interpretations of unrelated cones.