Sphenopteris
genus of plants (fossil)
Sphenopteris is a genus of seed ferns containing the foliage of various extinct plants, ranging from the Devonian to Late Cretaceous. One species, S. höninghausi, was transferred to the genus Crossotheca in 1911.
Biology
The frond of Sphenopteris could be up to 20 inches (51 cm) long.
Distribution
In Brazil, fossil of form genus Sphenopteris was located in outcrop Morro Papalé in the city of Mariana Pimentel. They are in the geopark Paleorrota in Rio Bonito Formation and date from Sakmarian in Permian. Fossils of Sphenopteris have also been found in the Valle Alto Formation, Caldas, Colombia, among many other locations.
Three species, S. gruenbachiana, S. ungeri and S. heterophylla are known from the Campanian aged Grünbach Formation of Austria.
“Sphenopteris” enters the record as genus of plants (fossil). Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Sphenopteris, genus and plants can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Sphenopteris” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Sphenopteris, genus and plants provides the most credible route into that argument.
Datasets, specimens, observations and peer-reviewed methods provide the appropriate test for the technical claims summarized here. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 23, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7576662. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1911.
Current terminology should not be projected backward without checking the classification used when the underlying evidence was created. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Sphenopteris”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Sphenopteris primary sources, Sphenopteris archive and Sphenopteris research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Sphenopteris”?
- Is the terminology current, historical or disputed?
- Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Sphenopteris” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.