VOLTZIA

a genus of fossil cone-bearing plants dating to the Early Triassic epoch (beginning 245 million years ago). It belongs to the family Voltziaceae, order Coniferales (sometimes Voltziales). The genus showed interesting modifications of the seed-cone complex of earlier forms. The pollen-bearing cone was an axis with spirally arranged pollen cases. The seed-bearing cone had three ovules on five flattened and fused scales, a trend of fusion and simplification that continued in later coniferous genera.