A Late Dinantian Flora from Weaklaw, East Lothian, Scotland

Abstract

Both compressed and permineralized plants have been collected from Upper Visean tuffs and dolomitic ashes outcropping on the foreshore at Weaklaw. The assemblage is dominated by permineralized gymnosperm remains which include woody stems, rachises and foliage; these are attributed to Bilignea solida, Eristophyotn fasciculare, Pitus withamii, Lyginorachis kingswoodense, Spathulopteris obovata, and Rhacopteris lindseaeformis. Sphenopteris cf. affinis is found as compressions. The zygopterid fern Diplolabis Renault is also recorded for the first time at this locality. The plants differ from taxa previously described from this area by Gordon including Pitus dayi, P. primaeva and P.rotunda, as well as the lycopsid Lepidodendron sp. and the ferns Botryopteris and Stauropteris which had been only briefly mentioned. It is suggested that the Weaklaw fossils sensu lato are derived from several distinct original plant communities. Comparison with the nearly contemporaneous floras from Pettycur, East Kirton, Loch Humphrey Burn, Esnost and Roannais indicates that similar plant communities, dominated either by lycopods and/or ferns or by gymnosperms, existed within these volcanic areas.