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Tempskya
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Mesozoic Era
tree fern
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Tempskya

fossil tree fern genus
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Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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History

Tempskya, genus of fossil tree ferns of the Mesozoic Era (about 65 to 250 million years ago), constituting the family Tempskyaceae, order Polypodiales. It was among the most bizarre of plants, with an unbranched trunk up to 40 cm (16 inches) across, tapering bluntly to a height of about 6 metres (20 feet) and covered densely on its upper two-thirds with small leaves. The lower trunk was almost entirely composed of fibrous roots; stems continued higher up scattered among the roots, becoming free but compressed together throughout the upper trunk.

This article was most recently revised and updated by William L. Hosch.