Tempskya

Tempskya is an extinct genus of tree ferns known from Cretaceous fossils. Its trunk formed from a dense mass of intertwined stems and roots rather than a single woody stem.

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Tree fern: A fern with an upright trunk-like stem that raises its fronds above the ground. Tempskya belongs to this growth form, though its apparent trunk was a root-and-stem mass.
Polystelic stem: A stem containing multiple separate vascular cylinders rather than one central vascular system. Tempskya’s many closely packed stem systems contributed to its complex trunk anatomy.
Cretaceous: A geological period spanning about 145 to 66 million years ago, before the Paleogene. Tempskya fossils are known from Cretaceous rocks.
Tempskya grandis: A species of Tempskya represented by fossil trunks with the genus’s characteristic intertwined anatomy. This named species illustrates the trunk construction used to recognize Tempskya.
Fern: A vascular plant that reproduces by spores and has leaves called fronds. Tempskya was a fern, not a seed plant or a true tree.
Root mantle: A dense covering of roots surrounding a plant stem or trunk. Interwoven roots formed much of the persistent outer mass of Tempskya’s trunk.
Mesozoic: The geological era from about 252 to 66 million years ago, comprising the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods. The genus lived during the final period of this era.
Tempskya minor: A fossil species assigned to the extinct tree-fern genus Tempskya. Its smaller dimensions provide a species-level comparison within the genus.
Rhizome: A stem that grows horizontally or close to the ground and can produce roots and shoots. The compact stems within Tempskya’s trunk were arranged in a dense, branching system.
Secondary growth: An increase in plant girth produced by lateral meristems, especially the vascular cambium. Tempskya’s trunk-like bulk came chiefly from packed stems and roots, not conventional woody thickening.