Gumuia

Gumuia Temporal range: Early Devonian PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Lycophytina
Genus:	†Gumuia S.G.Hao (1989)
Species
†G. zyzzata S.G.Hao (1989)

Gumuia is a genus of extinct vascular plants of the Early Devonian (Pragian or Siegenian, around 410 million years ago). The genus was first described in 1989 based on fossil specimens from the Posongchong Formation, Wenshan district, Yunnan, China.

Description and phylogeny

The sporophyte of G. zyzzata consisted of leafless stems (axes) with an apparently sympodial organization. Fertile stems had a spike-like organization, with both lateral and terminal sporangia (spore-forming organs); successive sporangia developed on alternate sides of short stems. The genus was tentatively placed in the "zosterophylls".

A cladogram published in 2004 by Crane et al. places Gumia in a paraphyletic stem group of broadly defined "zosterophylls", basal to the lycopsids (living and extinct clubmosses and relatives).

lycophytes

†Hicklingia †basal groups (Adoketophyton, Discalis, Distichophytum (=Rebuchia), Gumuia, Huia, Zosterophyllum myretonianum, Z. lianoveranum, Z. fertile) †'core' zosterophylls (Zosterophyllum divaricatum, Tarella, Oricilla, Gosslingia, Hsua, Thrinkophyton, Protobarinophyton, Barinophyton obscurum, B. citrulliforme, Sawdonia, Deheubarthia, Konioria, Anisophyton, Serrulacaulis, Crenaticaulis) †basal groups (Nothia, Zosterophyllum deciduum) lycopsids (extant and extinct members)

External links

• Cladogram from Crane, Herendeen & Friis 2004