Caytoniales

Caytoniales
Fig.1 A whole-plant reconstruction of Caytonia nathorstii
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Division: Pteridospermatophyta
Order: Caytoniales
Gothan, 1932
Family: Caytoniaceae
Kräusel, 1926
Form genera

The Caytoniales are an extinct order of seed plants known from fossils spanning from the Middle Triassic (Anisian) to the Late Cretaceous (Campanian). They are regarded as "seed ferns" because they are seed-bearing plants with fern-like leaves. Although at one time considered angiosperms because of their berry-like cupules, that hypothesis was later disproven. Nevertheless, many authorities consider them likely ancestors or close relatives of angiosperms. The origin of angiosperms remains unclear, and they cannot be linked with any known seed plants groups with certainty.