The late Palaeozoic tree fern Psaronius - an ecosystem unto itself

Stimulated by new observations, this contribution presents a summary of the current knowledge of different plants that grew closely associated with Psaronius trunks in the Early Permian petrified forest of Chemnitz (Saxony, Germany). The role of Psaronius tree ferns was to provide a frequently-used substrate for colonization by other plants. The massive root mantles protected different developing plants, and they may have improved the possibility of preservation of smaller plants and plant organs in particular. These are climbing axes of the fern Ankyropteris brongniartii, small epiphytes of the fern Tubicaulis sp., different isolated petioles of the fern Anachoropteris, small ?Grammatopteris axes, roots of the pteridosperm Callistophyton, and Dadoxylon specimens representing Amyelon roots of Cordaites and conifer stems. Further, plant-animal interactions demonstrate the role of Psaronius as an ecosystem unto itself. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.