A new equisetalean plant from the early Permian of Patagonia, Argentina

The sphenophyte Peltotheca furcata, nov. gen. et sp., is described based on vegetative and reproductive organs. Unbranched vegetative axes bear foliar whorls of Barakaria-type leaves, while reproductive axes are leafless and composed of distal fertile internodes entirely covered by peltate sporangiophore whorls bearing sporangia. This new taxon is compared with coeval equisetaleans from different geographical areas in order to better understand the systematics, taxonomy and phylogeny of the group. Paleoecological and phytogeographical interpretations are also considered, with reference to the particular case of the Patagonian region and its importance in late Paleozoic vegetational history in Gondwana.