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Pleuromeia is an extinct genus of lycophytes related to modern quillworts (Isoetes). Pleuromeia dominated vegetation during the Early Triassic across Eurasia and elsewhere, in the aftermath of the Permian–Triassic extinction event. During this period, it often occurred in monospecific assemblages. Its sedimentary context in monospecific assemblages on immature paleosols is evidence that it was an opportunistic pioneer plant that grew on mineral soils with little competition. It spread to high latitudes under greenhouse climatic conditions.
Dense populations of Pleuromeia, in the aftermath of Permian–Triassic extinction event, are recorded around the world from habitats ranging from semi-arid to tidal. Analysis suggest that they were perennial plants with relatively slow growth rates. However it is likely that they were also capable of rapid growth shortly prior to reproduction at the end of their lifespan. Their spores were likely able to survive long periods of dormancy, forming spore banks in the soil that were able to germinate long after the parent plants had died. Like modern quillworts, it has been suggested that Pleuromeia had Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM)-type carbon fixation and/or used the Lycopsid Photosynthetic Pathway, as well intaking carbon dioxide from its roots. It is likely that while Pleuromeia was stress tolerant, it was poorly competitive against other plants under less stressed growing conditions, which may have been due to the much lower efficiency of the CAM-type carbon fixation compared to the typical C3 type used by other plants.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Pleuromeia by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
