An Early Triassic Pleuromeia strobilus from Nevada, USA

A lycopsid reproductive organ from the Koipato Group in the southern Humboldt Range, Nevada, is described. It was found in fine-grained volcanogenic turbitides of mid-Spathian age derived from the Koipato volcanic arc. The strobilus is preserved as an imprint with small amounts of organic material. The shape of the reproductive organ, as well as the sporophylls, resemble those of the genus Pleuromeia, especially Pleuromeia sternbergii. Immature spores extracted from the organic matter are partly covered by authigenic muscovite crystals. This is the first record of this iconic taxon in the Early Triassic of North America. It further strengthens the global distribution of this genus during the Early Triassic by filling up a major paleogeographic gap.