Janegraya

Janegraya is a genus of liverwort fossil from the Middle Ordovician (Darriwilian, 460 million years old) Douglas Lake Member of the Lenoir Limestone from Douglas Dam Tennessee.[1] The generic name honors Jane Gray,and the epithet means 'prophetess".

Interpretative sketch of Janegraya sibylla

Periant around spore masses of 'Janegraya sibylla

Spore of Janegraya sibylla

Janegraya Temporal range: Middle Ordovician to Middle Ordovician PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Holotype of Janegraya sibylla, from Douglas Lake Member of Lenoir Limestone, at Douglas Dam, Tennessee[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Marchantiophyta
Class:	Marchantiopsida
Order:	Sphaerocarpales
Family:	Sphaeocarpaceae
Genus:	Janegraya Retallack(2019)<[1]
Type species
Janegraya sibylla Retallack (2019)

Description

Janegraya is a minute fossil balloonwort (Sphaerocarpaceae). Its spores are permanent tetrads closed within a thin perine.

Biological affinities

Janegraya is similar to living Spharocarpos.

References

1. Retallack, G.J. (2019). "Ordovician land plants and fungi from Douglas Dam, Tennessee". The Palaeobotanist. 68: 1–33.