Ruffordia
Extinct genus of ferns
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Ruffordia is an extinct genus of cosmopolitan ferns that thrived during the Mesozoic[2] and Cenozoic Eras, particularly from the Jurassic through the Cretaceous periods with the last species dying out during the Eocene.[3][4] It was notable for being a widespread and abundant ground cover in open, savanna-like ecosystems, especially in regions dominated by gymnosperms[5][4] and early angiosperms.[4] Ecologically, Ruffordia was quite similar to the modern Bracken fern (Pteridium), which also forms dense, clonal colonies across open habitats.[6][7] Despite this similarity, it was closer phylogenetically to Schizaeales.[4] Three species are known, Ruffordia gopperti, Ruffordia acrodenta[8] and Ruffordia subcretacea.[3]
| Ruffordia Temporal range: [1] | |
|---|---|
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| A Brazilian fossil of Ruffordia at the Senckenberg Museum of Frankfurt in Germany | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Division: | Polypodiophyta |
| Class: | Polypodiopsida |
| Order: | Schizaeales |
| Family: | Schizaeaceae |
| Genus: | †Ruffordia Seward |
| Species | |
| |
Distribution
Fossils are known from New Zealand, China, Peru, Brazil,[4] Canada, Spain, Belgium, The United States, Madagascar, South Korea and Germany.[9]