Calamitaceae is an extinct

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

of equisetalean plants related to the modern

horsetail ''Equisetum'' (; horsetail) is the only living genus in Equisetaceae, a family of vascular plants that reproduce by spores rather than seeds. ''Equisetum'' is a "living fossil", the only living genus of the entire subclass Equisetidae, which ...

s, known from the

Carboniferous The Carboniferous ( ) is a Geologic time scale, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), system of the Paleozoic era (geology), era that spans 60 million years, from the end of the Devonian Period Ma (million years ago) to the beginning of the ...

and

Permian The Permian ( ) is a geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system which spans 47 million years, from the end of the Carboniferous Period million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Triassic Period 251.902 Mya. It is the s ...

periods. Some members of this family like '' Arthropitys'' attained tree-like stature, with heights over , with extensive underground

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome ( ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and Shoot (botany), shoots from its Node (botany), nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from ...

s. They were largely found in wetland environments.

Proposed genera and species of Calamitaceae

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

* ''

Calamites ''Calamites'' is a genus of Extinction, extinct arborescent (tree-like) horsetails to which the modern horsetails (genus ''Equisetum'') are closely related. Unlike their Herbaceous plant, herbaceous modern cousins, these plants were medium-size ...

''. ** ''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