Anatomically preserved conifer-like stems from the upper Carboniferous of England

Abstract

Gymnosperm stems preserved in volcaniclastic deposits, from the Upper Carboniferous (Westphalian C) of the West Midlands, England, U.K., provide anatomical characters of the wood, pith and primary xylem which allows us to interpret them as conifers. They would represent the earliest report of an anatomically preserved member of this group, complementing the previous assignment to conifers of fusainized leafy twigs from the Westphalian B of Yorkshire, U.K., mainly based on detail of leaf structure.