Cordaicarpus spinatus Graham in Bot. Gaz. vol. 
97, p. 165, figs. 28, 24, 1925. 
This well characterized seed was described from 
‘longitudinal sections... of two seeds, and transverse 
sections of the half of one,’’ from coal balls collected in 
the Calhoun Mine, Richland County, Illinois. McLeans- 
boro Formation (Pennsylvanian Upper [?] Conemaugh 
Series). Our specimens conform in nearly all details to 
Graham’s description. 
The platyspermic seed has a very thick sclerotesta 
with spiny outgrowths. The type specimens have the 
following dimensions: 6.5 mm. long, 8 mm. wide, 8.5 
mm. thick. Graham (9) reported that the fleshy sarco- 
testa had been almost completely destroyed in his speci- 
mens. 
The example illustrated by figure 22 shows a well 
preserved sarcotesta and the seed measures 11 mm. in 
length and 5 mm. in thickness. Serial sections (eighty- 
three) were made from this specimen, but the exact width 
cannot be computed because a considerable amount of 
material is lost by grinding the surface of the specimen 
before a new peel is prepared. Another well preserved 
seed having almost the identical length (10.8 mm.) has 
a maximum width of 10 mm. 
Graham’s figures are not to be considered erroneous, 
rather they are based upon incomplete specimens. I do 
not propose to emend the specific diagnosis of this seed 
for the present, inasmuch as I am studying a young em- 
bryo of the same species. 
Cordaicarpus spinatus is the most abundant seed in 
the coal balls from the vicinity of Waukee, Lowa (Shuler 
Mine and Urbandale Mine). I have seen specimens of 
this species also in coal balls from Frontenac and Pitts- 
burg, Kansas. All of them were collected by or for F.O. 
Thompson. 
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