Ludlow Epoch

What happened during this time?

• There is a marked increase in the plant structure complexity by the late Silurian (Ludlow)

• Record of tracheids, and therefore evidence of vascular plants, in the fossil record (Edwards & Davies, 1976)

  • C-type tracheids were also discovered earlier in the Wenlock within Cooksonia pertonii †

• Cooksonia cambrensis † and C. pertonii † are found during this time from fossils in Ireland (Edwards et al., 1979; Edwards & Richardson, 2004)

• Steganotheca striata † from Wales (Edwards & Rogerson, 1979)

• Baragwanathia longifolia †, Salopella australis †, Hedeia † have been reported from Australia (Tims & Chambers, 1984)

  • Baragwanathia † represents the earliest known vascular plant leaves (microphylls)

• Bathurstia †, Distichophytum †, Hostinella †, Macivera  gracilis †, and Zosterophyllum † (Kotyk et al., 2002)