14 



PENNSYLVANIAN SPORES OF ILLINOIS 



Fig. 3. — Diagrammatic drawing of a radially 

 symmetrical spore illustrating: 



A. Flange and striations 



B. Ray of trilete mark 



C. Original position of suture or commissure 



D. Contact area 



E. Lip 



F. Arcuate (?) ridge 



Fig. 4. — Diagrammatic drawing of bilateral 

 spore illustrating: 



A. Original position of monolete mark 



B. Lip 



small spore genera observed in Illinois coal 

 beds. This table together with the plates 

 illustrating species of the various genera 

 will serve as a guide to the identification 

 of genera. 



GENUS Punctati-sporites (Ibrahim, 

 1933) emend., S. W. and B., 1944 



Plate 1, figures 5-9; Plate 2, figures 1-11; Plate 

 16, figures 3-4 



More species are assigned to the genus 

 Punctati-sporites than to any other small 

 spore genus. The numerous species exhibit 

 a wide variation in spore coat ornamenta- 

 tion, and it is possible that the plants which 

 produced spores classified under this genus 

 may represent more than one group. It is 

 perhaps for this reason that the range of the 

 genus covers all of the Pennsylvanian coal 

 beds in Illinois. The genus is present but 

 not dominant until McLeansboro time. 

 The geographic distribution of the genus 

 is extensive since it is known from the 

 United States and Europe. 



The following description of the genus 

 is based on 31 previously described species 

 and 16 species described in this report: the 

 spores are radial, trilete, originally spherical 

 to subtriangular in outline, and frequently 

 obliquely compressed. The known size 

 range is from 27.3 to more than 111 

 microns. The spore coat ornamentation 

 is extremely variable and includes practical- 



ly every known type. The tetrad mark is 

 present (not known in P. quaesitus) and 

 varies considerably as to its prominence. 

 The rays may be short or long and extend to 

 the margin of the spore wall. The com- 

 missure, arcuate markings, and lips may be 

 present or absent. No contact areas are 

 known to occur on species of this genus. 

 The spore coat varies in thickness from 1 

 to 6.5 microns although most species range 

 from two to four microns. There can be 

 little question that the spores of Crosso- 

 theca Hughesiana, illustrated by Kidston, 

 plates 25-28 (1906) are congeneric with 

 Punctati-sporites. Thus at least some species 

 of Punctati-sporites are of pteridospermic 

 origin. 



The new species of this report extend 

 the maximum size range by about 30 

 microns, suggest the presence of arcuate 

 markings, and confirm the presence of 

 various other types of ornamentation. 

 Eventually the genus will either have to be 

 redefined or new genera established. Either 

 change is impossible at the present time 

 since the species of this genus in certain 

 cases may represent immature forms of 

 other existing genera, or these forms may 

 represent transitional species. Additional 

 information concerning species of this genus 

 in connection with reproductive organs 

 must be available. 



The following are new species of the 

 genus Punctati-sporites from Illinois coal 

 beds: 



1. P. setulosus 



2. P. fenestratus 



3. P. foveosus 



4. P. minutus 



5. P. mundus 



6. P. obliquus 



7. P. orbicularis 



8. P. provectus 



9. P. verrucifer 



10. P. foveatus 



11. P. quaesitus 



12. P. quasiarcuatus 



13. P. reticuloides 



14. P. triangularis 



15. P. vagus 



16. P. vermiculatus 



