Lepidodendron Sp.

Specimens of Leipidodendron from Marles-les-mines, Pas-de-Calais, France. They have been dated to the Carboniferous period, Westphalian. Lepidodendron are an extinct group of primitive plants which are related to the lycopsids, or club mosses. The name means 'Scale tree' due to the fact that the bark and the imprints left by bark appear like the scales on a reptile. They were present during the Carboniferous period, over 350 million years ago, and as such are often found in Carboniferous shales and coal deposits. They eventually became extinct by the Mesozoic era, believed to be due to competition from emerging conifer plants and trees. These samples would make an excellent addition to any fossil collection, they are supplied in a white card tray with an information label.