Anatomically preserved Glossopteris foliage from the central Transantarctic Mountains

Two distinctive new species of Glossopteris, G. schopfii Pigg sp. nov., are described from the central Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica. These new species represent the first species of Glossopteris based on internal anatomy. Glossopteris schopfii is characterized by narrow, elongate meshes, bundle sheath fibers, prominent phloem lacunae, papillar epidermal cells with straight margins and simple, longitudinally-oriented stomata. In contrast, G. skaarensis has broad polygonal meshes, a distinctive hypodermis, epidermal cells with sinuous margins and irregularly distributed, sunken stomata. These stomata are surrounded by a well-defined ring of subsidiary cells with beak-like papillae. The variety of anatomical detail demonstrated by these forms illustrates the diverse nature of glossopterid-bearing plants and underscores the value of permineralized peat to the study of Gondwana plants.