This paleobotany list records new fossil plant taxa that were described during the year 2024, and notes other significant paleobotany discoveries and events which occurred during 2024.
Algae Charophytes Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Synonymized taxa Notes ImagesEchinochara pontisSp. novPérez-Cano & Martín-ClosasEarly Cretaceous (Berriasian)Els Mangraners FormationA member of the family Clavatoraceae.
Chlorophytes Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Synonymized taxa Notes ImagesAcicularia claudiopolitanaSp. novValidBucur et al.TriassicA species of Acicularia.BediaellaGen. et sp. novErnst, Vachard & RodríguezDevonian (Pragian)A probable member of Dasycladales. The type species is B. hispanica.Clypeina? pamelareidaeSp. novValidBucur, Del Piero & MartiniLate Triassic (Norian)()A member of Dasycladales.Griphoporella? speleolukaSp. novValidGrgasovićMiddle Triassic (Anisian)A member of Dasycladales belonging to the family Triploporellaceae.HarpericystisGen. et sp. novKringsDevonianRhynie chertA probable member of Chlorophyta. The type species is H. verecunda.JimaodanusNom. novPuSilurian (Llandovery)Waukesha Lagerstätte()A dasycladalean alga; a replacement name for Heterocladus LoDuca, Kluessendorf & Mikulic (2003).Julpiaella baltresiSp. novValidBucur et al.TriassicA member of Dasycladales.Palaeodasycladus primusSp. novValidGrgasovićMiddle Triassic (Anisian)A member of Dasycladales belonging to the family Dasycladaceae.Pseudodiplopora ioanaletitiaeSp. novValidBucur et al.TriassicA member of Dasycladales.
Ochrophytes NameNoveltyStatusAuthorsAgeType localityLocationNotesImagesHoujiashaniaGen. et sp. novValidLiu et al.EdiacaranDengying FormationA possible brown alga. The type species is H. yuxiensis. Announced in 2023; the final version of the article naming it was published in 2024.Mallomonas enigmataSp. novSiverEocene()A species of Mallomonas.Mallomonas giganticaSp. novIn pressSiverEocene()A species of Mallomonas.
Rhodophyta NameNoveltyStatusAuthorsAgeType localityLocationNotesImagesAmphiroa dabbabensisSp. novHamadPlioceneShagra FormationA species of Amphiroa.
Other algae NameNoveltyStatusAuthorsAgeType localityLocationNotesImagesCharacrhyniumGen. et sp. novKringsDevonianWindyfield chertA probable unicellular alga. Genus includes new species C. amoenum.YunnanospirellusGen. et 2 sp. novLi et al.Ediacaran and CambrianA macroalga known from the Ediacaran Miaohe biota and from the Cambrian Chengjiang biota. The type species is Y. typica; genus also includes Y. elegans.
Phycological research Evidence from genomic data, interpreted as indicating that the brown algae originated during the Ordovician but their major diversification happened during the Mesozoic, is presented by Choi et al. (2024). Kiel et al. (2024) report the discovery of kelp holdfasts from the Oligocene strata in Washington State (United States), providing evidence of the presence of kelp in the northeastern Pacific Ocean since the earliest Oligocene. Putative dasycladalean alga Voronocladus dryganti from the Silurian of Ukraine is argued by LoDuca (2024) to be a member of Bryopsidales; the author also reinterprets purported graptolite-like epibionts of V. dryganti, originally described as the new taxon Podoliagraptus algaeoides, as actually representing the uppermost siphons of mature thalli of V. dryganti. A diverse charophyte flora, including fossil material of Echinochara cf. peckii representing the oldest record of the family Clavatoraceae reported to date, is described from the Middle Jurassic (Bathonian) marginal marine beds of southern France by Trabelsi, Sames & Martín-Closas (2024).
Non-vascular plants Bryophyta Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Synonymized taxa Notes ImagesJamesrossiaGen. et sp. novValidWalker et al.Late Cretaceous (Campanian)Santa Marta FormationAntarcticaA moss belonging to the family Rhabdoweisiaceae. The type species is J. plicata.Servicktia tatyanaeSp. novIgnatov in Ignatov et al.Permian (Lopingian)()A moss belonging to the group Protosphagnales.Tricosta angeiophorosSp. novValidValois et al.Early Cretaceous (Valanginian)()A moss belonging to the family Tricostaceae. Published online in 2024; the final version of the article naming it was published in 2025.
Marchantiophyta Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Synonymized taxa Notes ImagesFrullania delgadilliiSp. novJuárez-Martínez & Estrada-Ruiz in Juárez-Martínez, Córdova-Tabares & Estrada-RuizMioceneMexican amberA liverwort, a species of Frullania.Jubula polessicaSp. novValidMamontov, Atwood & Perkovsky in Mamontov et al.EoceneRovno amberA liverwort, a species of Jubula.Lejeunea aristoviiSp. novValidSchäfer-Verwimp, Mamontov, Feldberg & Perkovsky in Mamontov et al.EoceneRovno amberA liverwort, a species of Lejeunea.Leptoscyphus davidiiSp. novValidMamontov et al.EoceneRovno amberA liverwort, a species of Leptoscyphus.Nipponolejeunea rovnoiSp. novMamontov et al.EoceneRovno amberA liverwort.Nipponolejeunea solodovnikoviiSp. novMamontov et al.EoceneRovno amberA liverwort.Radula tikhomirovaeSp. novValidMamontov & Perkovsky in Mamontov et al.EoceneRovno amberA liverwort, a species of Radula.
Non-vascular plant research Ignatov et al. (2024) describe new fossil material of the Permian moss Gomankovia from the Aristovo locality (Vologda Oblast, Russia), providing new information on its anatomy.
Lycophytes Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Synonymized taxa Notes ImagesBisigillariostrobusGen. et sp. novAsghar et al.PermianA member of Lepidodendrales belonging to the family Sigillariaceae. Genus includes new species B. prolificus.HeliodendronGen. et sp. novJunior homonymQin et al.DevonianWutong FormationA member of Isoetales belonging to the group Dichostrobiles. The type species is H. longshanense. The generic name is preoccupied by Heliodendron Gill.K.Br. & Bayly (2022).Lepidostrobus willardiiSp. novValidPšenička, Bek & NelsonCarboniferous (Pennsylvanian)Tradewater Formation()Selaginellites argentinensisSp. novValidCariglino, Zavattieri & LaraTriassicA member of the family Selaginellaceae.StaphylophytonGen. et sp. novValidGensel et al.Devonian (Emsian)()A zosterophyll. Genus includes new species S. semiglobosa. Published online in 2024; the final version of the article naming it was published in 2025.
Lycophyte research Revision of the original material of Bumbudendron is published by Coturel (2024). Evidence of silica biomineralization in Permian spikemosses from the Xuanwei Formation (Yunnan, China) is presented by Feng et al. (2024).
Ferns and fern allies Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Synonymized taxa Notes ImagesAcitheca machadoiSp. novCorreia et al.Carboniferous (Gzhelian)Monsarros FormationA member of the family Psaroniaceae.Adiantum qaidamenseSp. novChen & Yan in Chen et al.OligoceneShangganchaigou FormationA species of Adiantum.Arthropitys raimundiiSp. novValidRößler et al.PermianLeukersdorf FormationA calamitalean. Published online in 2024; the final version of the article naming it was published in 2025.Artisophyton chalmersiiComb. novValid(Goodlet)Carboniferous (Serpukhovian)Limestone Coal FormationA member of the family Tedeleaceae; moved from "Megaphyton" chalmersii Goodlet (1957).BussacoconusGen. et sp. novCorreia & SáCarboniferous (Pennsylvanian)Vale da Mó FormationA member of Sphenophyllales. Genus includes new species B. zeliapereirae.Cyathocarpus benefoliatiiSp. novGuo, Zhou & Feng in Guo et al.Permian (Lopingian)Xuanwei FormationA marattialean fern.Cystodium parasorbifoliumSp. novLi & Moran in Guo et al.CretaceousBurmese amberA member of the family Cystodiaceae.Equicalastrobus glabratusSp. novValidProcopio Rodríguez, Bodnar & BeltránMiddle Triassic (Ladinian)Cortaderita FormationA member of the family Equisetaceae.Henanotheca qingyunensisSp. novValidGuo, Zhou & Feng in Guo et al.Permian (Lopingian)Xuanwei FormationA filicalean fern.HexaphyllostrobusGen. et sp. novD'Antonio et al.CarboniferousMazon Creek fossil beds ()A member of Sphenophyllales. Genus includes new species H. kostorhysii.JeranaGen. et sp. novMeyer-Berthaud et al.Devonian (Givetian)A member of Cladoxylopsida. Genus includes new species J. modica.Neocalamites vanderburghiiSp. novKuipers, van Konijnenburg-van Cittert & Wagner-CremerMiddle Triassic (Anisian)A member of Equisetales.Palaeosorum siwalikumSp. novValidKundu, Hazra & Khan in Kundu et al.MioceneA member of the family Polypodiaceae. Announced in 2023; the final version of the article naming it was published in 2024.ParacladoxylonGen. et sp. novChu & Tomescu in Chu, Durieux & TomescuDevonian (Emsian)Battery Point Formation()A member of Cladoxylopsida. Genus includes new species P. kespekianum.Pecluma hispaniolaeSp. novRegalado & Schmidt in Regalado et al.MioceneDominican amberA species of Pecluma.Scolecopteris oxydontaSp. novSun et al.PermianTaiyuan FormationA marattialean fern.Tempskya hailunensisSp. novLiu et al.CretaceousSongliao Basin
Pteridological research Yang et al. (2024) revise fossil material of Bowmanites described by Halle (1927) from Permian Shihottse Formation (China). Wang et al. (2024) report the discovery of a fossil forest of Neocalamites plants from the Middle Triassic Yanchang Formation (China), and interpret this finding as evidence of wide-scale intensification of the water cycle during the Triassic prior to the Carnian pluvial episode. Wu et al. (2024) reconstruct fronds of Pecopteris lativenosa on the basis of fossils from the Permian Wuda Tuff flora (China). Jia et al. (2024) describe fossil material of Cladophlebis kwangyuanensis from the Xujiahe Formation (Chongqing, China), expanding known geographical range of the species, and interpret the studied specimens as living in warm, humid subtropical-tropical monsoon climate during the Late Triassic. A study on the phylogenetic relationships of fossil members of Osmundales is published by Urrea, Yañez & Flores (2024). Evidence from the study of an almost monospecific assemblage of fossils of Ruffordia goeppertii from the Albian strata from the Los Majuelos fossil site (Teruel, Spain), indicative of colonization of disturbed deltaic floodplains by the studied ferns, is presented by Sender et al. (2024). The classification of Microlepia burmasia from the Cretaceous amber from Myanmar as a dennstaedtiaceous fern belonging to the genus Microlepia is contested by Zhang (2024). A study on the phylogenetic relationships of extant and fossil members of Cyatheales, and on the biogeography of the group throughout its evolutionary history, is published by Ramírez-Barahona (2024). Machado et al. (2024) describe fossil material of Pteridium sp. cf. P. esculentum from the Miocene Ñirihuau Formation (Argentina) representing the oldest and southernmost record of Pteridium from South America reported to date. Evidence from the study of extant and fossil fern (including a tetrahedral apical cell in the leaf meristem of Ankyropteris corrugata), interpreted as indicating that fiddleheads are a synapomorphy of marattioid and leptosporangiate ferns and that fern leaves evolved from shoots, is presented by Cruz & Hetherington (2024).
Bennettitales Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Synonymized taxa Notes ImagesOtozamites meyeniiSp. novValidBazhenova & BazhenovMiddle Jurassic()Weltrichia huitzilopochtliiComb. nov(Wieland)Early Jurassic (Toarcian)Rosario FormationA member of Bennettitales. Moved from Williamsonia huitzilopochtli Wieland.Williamsoniella rosarensisSp. novVelasco de León et al.Early-Middle JurassicCualac FormationA member of Bennettitales belonging to the family Williamsoniaceae.
Conifers
Araucariaceae