Otovicia hypnoides (Brongniart) nov. comb., emend.

Branches of penultimate and of higher orders leafy or leafy at younger stage. Shoot systems pinnately, or occasionally tripinnately branched. Ultimate and penultimate branches situated in one plane. Penultimate branches bearing two lateral rows of parallel, more or less alternating branches. Lateral branches up to 25 cm long. Bifacial leaves spirally arranged, arising at an angle of 35-90°. Leaves elongate; subtriangular, oblong or lanceolate, acute to slightly obtuse. They are closely spaced and often overlapping each other, especially in smaller twigs. Heterophylly may occur.
Ovuliferous cones compound, cylindrical, 3.0-6.5 cm long and 1.1-1.8 cm wide, attached terminally to leafy branches. Cone axis bearing spirally arranged bracts; bracts 6-13 mm long and up to 5 mm wide; partially overlapping each other. Shape of bracts rhomboidal or obovate; apex bifurcated.
Ovuliferous dwarf-shoots arising freely in the axils of the bracts. Dwarf-shoots varying in length and width, respectively from 6.5-11 mm and from 6-10 mm; not reaching the apex of subtending bracts, bilaterally symmetrical, slightly flattened. Dwarf-shoots provided with 12-18 sterile scales and two fertile scales. Sterile scales lanceolate to narrow subtriangular with an acute to sub-obtuse apex; all showing the same dimensions except for some smaller scales attached to the base of the dwarf-shoot. Sterile scales 3.5-7.0 mm long and 1-2 mm wide. Smaller sterile scales at base of dwarf-shoot up to 3 mm long and 1 mm wide.
Fertile scales resembling the sterile scales in shape and size; showing a central scar. Each fertile scale bearing a single inverted ovule. Fertile and sterile scales hardly connate.
Ovules/seeds, winged, bilaterally symmetrical, ovoid to oblong ovate, platyspermic, 7-9 mm long and 3.5-5.0 mm wide. Nucellus free to its base. Integument extending into an 1.3-2.0 mm wide wing-like seam, sometimes cordate in the basal part, tapering towards the micropylar area and there forming two narrow extensions up to 1.8 mm long. Micropylar area acute. Funnel-like nucellar beak extending into the micropyle. Pollen chamber apparently present. Ovules evidently laterally attached to the abaxial surface of the fertile scales. Seed axis probably bent.
Polliniferous cones (?simple), 4-25 mm long and 3-10 mm wide, attached terminally to lateral leafy branches. Cone axis bearing spirally arranged, densely inserted, (sub-)peltate, (?hypo-sporangiate) microsporophylls; distal part of the microsporophyIls triangular with an acute apex. Distal parts of the microsporophylls overlapping; up to 4 mm long and 3 mm wide. Pollen sacs containing subcircular to elliptical (in polar view), monosaccoid, monolete to reduced trilete prepollen assignable to Potonieisporites Bhardwaj 1954 (Florin, 1939b; own observations).
Leaves unequally amphistomatic; frequency of stomata on adaxial surface higher than on abaxial surface. Adaxial surface of leaf with two bands of irregularly arranged stomata. Abaxial surface with few stomata groups. Conical hairs still visible on the lateral leaf margins. Epidermal cells of the median and lateral stomata-free bands elongate rectangular to polygonal, up to 7 urn long and 2 urn wide; distal walls straight to slightly convex. Median adaxial stomata free zone up to 25 cells wide.
Stomatal complexes monocyclic to incompletely dicyclic; guard cells sunken, slightly cutinized; 5-8 papillate subsidiary cells per stomatal complex. Stomata sometimes densely spaced such that adjacent stomatal complexes sometimes share a subsidiary and encircling cell. Distal walls of subsidiary and encircling cells slightly convex to straight.
Epidermis papillate; frequency of papillae in the median stomata-free zone higher than in lateral stomata-free zones. Hair bases present on both the adaxial and abaxial surfaces, but less frequent in the adaxial median stomatafree zone.
Epidermal structure of bracts of the ovuliferous cones resembling that of the normal leaves. Sterile scales provided with conical hairs on the lateral margins.
Epidermal structure of distal parts of microsporophylls resembling that of normal leaves; lateral margins finely denticulate. Median and particularly lateral stomata-free zones wider than in sterile foliage.
Epidermis of integument of seeds/ovules with elongate rectangular cells, non-stomatiferous.