 | ||
Similar Classopollis, Brachyphyllum, Bennettitales, Pagiophyllum, Araucariaceae | ||
Fossils artifacts Cheirolepis fish skin fossil Tin Can Beach Saint John NB Sep 12 2018
Cheirolepidiaceae is a family of extinct coniferous plants.
This family of conifers, superficially similar to Cupressaceae, was a significant part of the flora of the Mesozoic, around 252 to 66 million years ago (Axsmith et al., 2004). They are united by the possession of a distinctive pollen type assigned to the form genus Classopollis. The name Frenelopsidaceae (as a separate family) or "frenelopsids" has been used for a group of Cheirolepidiaceae with jointed stems, thick internode cuticles, sheathing leaf bases and reduced free leaf tips.
Some species are thought to have been the first plants to be insect pollinated as they occur in association with extinct pollinating scorpionflies.
The family name Hirmeriellaceae is a junior synonym of Cheirolepidiaceae.
