Among the thousands of plant specimens collected from Upper Pennsylvanian sediments near Hamilton KS are coniferous stems with forked leaves. Some of these represent penultimate axes of conifers like Emporia lockardii, which has forked leaves on penultimate shoots and simple leaves on ultimate branches. However, other specimens represent a new plant that branches sparsely and has robust ultimate shoots bearing both simple and forked leaves. The angle of leaf bifurcation varies considerably, ranging from 75 to 180 degrees on a single shoot. Leaves at attached branch bases are simple. Several isolated branches show forked leaves proximally and simple leaves at the apex. Attached forked leaves are 1.2 - 3.4 cm long, whereas simple leaves on the same stems are smaller, ranging up to 1.4 cm long. Internal anatomy of the stems consists of pycnoxylic wood that surrounds a parenchymatous pith with sclerotic plates. Primary bundles are endarch, and the bark region is relatively thin. Below the fork, leaves have a single vein within a broad midrib. Epidermal cells are brick-shaped, or isodiametric with a prominent papilla. Uniseriate, multicellular trichomes occur on stem surfaces, at leaf margins and on leaf surfaces. Stomata occur in longitudinal rows within stomatal bands, and consist of a ring of subsidiary cells that surround inconspicuous guard cells. Each subsidiary cell has a single papilla that overarches the stoma. Associated ovulate structures are up to 16 cm long and 2 cm wide, comprising a compound shoot with helically arranged bracts that subtend axillary ovulate shoots. None of the ovulate structures show an apex, but some have a vegetative zone distal to the fertile area, and in this regard resemble the ovulate structures of Voltzia hexagona and Trichopitys heteromorpha.

Key words: conifer, coniferophyte, Kansas, Upper Pennsylvanian