Equisetites spatulatus (Zeiller, 1895) from the Late Carboniferous does not still belong to the genus Equisetites: Preliminary results using a combined morphological and taphonomic approach

Equisetites spatulatus Zeiller, 1895 is only found in Late Carboniferous deposits in France. The uninervous leaves with spatulate shaped tip forming a sheath are the only characters used to define this species. We consider the isolated incomplete, leaf sheath with rarely preserved spatulate shaped tips on which the diagnosis is based, a too poor argument to maintain E. spatulatus as a valid species. New samples and two syntypes were examined and...