Guazia, the earliest ovule without cupule but with unique integumentary lobes

De-Ming Wang; Le Liu; Yi Zhou; Min Qin; Mei-Cen Meng; Yun Guo; Jin-Zhuang Xue

doi:10.1093/nsr/nwab196

Guazia, the earliest ovule without cupule but with unique integumentary lobes

Natl Sci Rev. 2021 Oct 30;9(4):nwab196. doi: 10.1093/nsr/nwab196. eCollection 2022 Apr.

Authors

De-Ming Wang¹, Le Liu², Yi Zhou¹, Min Qin³, Mei-Cen Meng¹, Yun Guo⁴, Jin-Zhuang Xue¹

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Orogenic Belts and Crustal Evolution, Department of Geology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
² School of Geoscience and Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China.
³ Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Linyi University, Linyi 276000, China.
⁴ Institute of Deep Time Terrestrial Ecology, Institute of Palaeontology, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Earth System Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China.

Abstract

The earliest ovules in the Late Devonian (Famennian) are surrounded by a cupule that is involved in both protection and pollination, and generally have free integumentary lobes. Here we report a new taxon from the Famennian of China, Guazia dongzhiensis gen. et sp. nov. The terminally borne ovule is apparently acupulate (without cupule) and has four radially arranged wing-like integumentary lobes that are extensively fused, and folded lengthwise and inwards. Guazia provides evidence that not all Devonian seeds possess a cupule and it increases their diversity in integumentary lobes. This genus also suggests that the integuments develop new functions, probably including wind dispersal at the expense of the cupules.

Keywords: Devonian; cupule; integument; ovule; seed plants.