Tempskya is an extinct genus of
tree fern that lived during the Cretaceous period. Fossils have been found
across both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. The growth habit
of Tempskya was unlike that of any living fern or any other
living plant, consisting of multiple conjoined dichotomous branching stems
enmeshed within roots that formed a "false trunk"
The trunk of Tempskya was actually a
large collection of stems surrounded by adventitious roots. The false
trunks can reach up to 6 meters (20 ft) in height and up to 50 centimeters
(20 in) in diameter. Small leaves grew from various points across the
height of the trunk. This contrasts with most tree ferns, where typically large
leaves grow from the top of the trunk. Thin leaves have been discovered
for the first time on Tempskya wyomingense specimens; the
more commonly seen fossilized leaf bases show that they cover the upper part of
the trunk.