Aspects of Romanian Early Jurassic palaeobotany and palynology. Part II. A new species of Pachypteris from Cristian

The Lower Jurassic (Sinemurian) deposits of Cristian (Brasov County, Romania) contain a well-preserved land flora. Pachypteris gradinarui n.sp., a new species of seed fern foliage belonging to the Corystospermales, is described, figured and analysed. The species has a bipinnate, petioled frond; secondary rachises inserted on the upper side of the primary rachis; rounded, occasionally lobed pinnules without marked abaxial thickening or folding. The material is compared with other Pachypteris species, and with Cycadopteris, a related genus characterised by marginal (cuticular) thickening and folding, as it presents transitional characters between the two genera.