Calamitaceae is an extinct

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

of plants related to the modern

horsetail ''Equisetum'' (; horsetail, snake grass, puzzlegrass) is the only living genus in Equisetaceae, a family of ferns, which reproduce by spores rather than seeds. ''Equisetum'' is a "living fossil", the only living genus of the entire subclass ...

s. Some members of this family attained tree-like stature during the

Carboniferous Period The Carboniferous ( ) is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic that spans 60 million years from the end of the Devonian Period million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Permian Period, million years ago. The name ''Carbonif ...

(around ) and in Permian Period, reaching heights of up to 20 meters. The family takes its name from its principal

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

Calamites ''Calamites'' is a genus of extinct arborescent (tree-like) horsetails to which the modern horsetails (genus '' Equisetum'') are closely related. Unlike their herbaceous modern cousins, these plants were medium-sized trees, growing to heights o ...

''. Because some proposed species are based on partial

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

records, it is not clear if these are merely different parts of the same type.

Proposed genera and species of Calamitaceae

* ''

Annularia ''Annularia'' is a form taxon, applied to fossil foliage belonging to extinct plants of the genus ''Calamites'' in the order Equisetales. Description ''Annularia'' is a form taxon name given to leaves of ''Calamites''. In that species, the leav ...

''. ** ''A. stellata''. * '' Arthropitys''. * '' Asterophyllites'' (or incorrectly ''Asterophyllum''). * '' Astromyelon''. Calamites sp

* ''

''. ** ''C. carinatus''. ** ''C. suckowi''. ** ''C. undulatus''. * '' Calamocarpon''. * '' Calamostachys''. ** ''C. binneyana''. * '' Cingularia''. * '' Mazostachys''. * '' Paleostachya''.

References

External links

Link to information and pictures
Equisetales Carboniferous plants Prehistoric plant families Fern families Carboniferous first appearances Carboniferous extinctions {{carboniferous-plant-stub