A new species of Lepidopteris discovered from the Upper Permian of China with its stratigraphic and biologic implications

A new species Lepidopteris baodensis sp. nov. belonging to the family Peltaspermaceae and represented by two ultimate pinnae in the collection under study, was recently discovered at the Baijiagou of Baode, Shanxi, China, from the Upper Permian Sunjiagou Formation. The lower surface of the ultimate rachis, the midrib and secondary veins is covered with triangular, trapezoid, rounded, or ligulate subepidermal swellings, which show different natures from intercalary pinnules. Lepidopteris is one of typical elements of the Late Permian Euramerican flora. Since Schimper erected the genus Lepidopteris in 1869, the entire epidermal structure of subepidermal swellings had been unclear. The new species L. baodensis clearly showing the distinguished epidermal structure of subepidermal swellings, not only enlarges and supplements our knowledge in biology and taxonomy of Lepidopteris as well as the Upper Permian stratigraphy of China, but also provides an opportunity to understand the relationship between Euramerican floras and Cathaysian floras in paleoclimatic, paleoenvironmental and paleogeographic context.