26 



PENNSYLVANIA^ SPORES OF ILLINOIS 



not common. The known size ranges from 

 40 to 126 microns. The spore coat is 

 always reticulate and in some forms the 

 body wall is also punctate. The haptotypic 

 structures are variously developed on dif- 

 ferent species. The trilete mark, lips, and 

 commissure may be present or absent. 

 When present they are frequently covered 

 in part by the muri of the reticulate orna- 

 mentation. The spore coat or coats, if the 

 reticulate structures are perisporal, vary in 

 thickness. Excluding the muri the spore 

 coat generally is from 2-4 microns thick 

 and somewhat thicker in several species. 

 Little is known of the affinity of the spores 

 of Reticulati-sporites. Suggested relation- 

 ships of the trilete forms with Sphenophyl- 

 lum and the alete forms with Hepaticae 

 spores must await further information. 



Reticulati-sporites adhearens sp. nov. 



Plate 5, figure 2 



Description. — Spores are radial, oval to 

 round with the marginal outline wavy due 

 to the muri. The holotype measures 88 X 

 92.4 microns and the known size ranges 

 from 82 to 97 microns. The spore coat is 

 reticulate with large lacunae frequently 

 measuring more than 20 microns in width. 

 The muri are 3-5 microns in width and 4-6 

 microns high. Folding of the muri is 

 common. A definite trilete mark, lip, and 

 sometimes commissure are present. The 

 rays are at least 22 microns in length. There 

 is an area contagionis which covers the 

 area between the rays on the proximal sur- 

 face. This area is marked by numerous 

 round projections. The spore coat is 2-3 

 microns thick exclusive of the muri. 



Holotype. — Maceration 519-B Slide 7, 

 Dekoven coal bed, Williamson County. 



Discussion. — The area contagionis is a 

 new character for the genus and the 

 thickening by round blunt projections is un- 

 usual, but distinctive. 



Reticulati-sporites irregularis sp. nov. 



Plate 5, figure 1 



Description. — Spores are radially sym- 

 metrical, compressed into a disc-like shape 



without folds. The holotype measures 88.2 

 X 86.1 microns and the known size range 

 is from 80 to 126 microns. The spore coat 

 is reticulate and the lacunae vary in size 

 and shape from rectangular to round and 

 in size from about 2 microns to 12 microns. 

 The muri range in thickness from less than 

 2 microns to 4-5 microns thick. The spore 

 coat is variously thickened due to its reticu- 

 late ornamentation. No haptotypic struc- 

 tures have been observed. 



Holotype. — Maceration 144 Slide 1, 

 "Sub-Babylon" coal bed above the Pennsyl- 

 vanian-Mississippian contact, Fulton Coun- 

 ty, Illinois. 



Discussion. — The known size variation 

 is very large and yet specimens have been 

 observed throughout the size range although 

 most of the specimens are less than 110 mi- 

 crons. The trilete mark has not been ob- 

 served and thus this species is known only 

 from the alete condition. The reticula- 

 tions are vaguely suggestive of those of R. 

 facetus (Ibrahim), S. W. and B., 1944, al- 

 though this species is considerably smaller in 

 size. 



Reticulati-sporites lacunosus sp. nov. 



Plate 5, figure 5 



Description. — Spores are radial, sub- 

 spherical in outline and the muri frequently 

 folded. The holotype measures 86 X 92 mi- 

 crons and the known size variance is from 

 80 to 101 microns. The spore coat is retic- 

 ulate with extremely large lacunae and high 

 muri. The lacunae measure 20 to more 

 than 40 microns in width and the muri 

 are frequently 8 to 10 microns high. The 

 trilete mark is always present but frequently 

 is not distinct in that it is covered by the 

 muri. The holotype trilete mark is about 

 the average condition. The rays are usual- 

 ly over 22 microns in length. The spore 

 coat is more than 2 microns thick. 



Holotype.— Maceration 625-B Slide 9, 

 Willis coal bed, Gallatin County, Illinois. 



Discussion. — This species is usually 

 found abundantly in the lower half of the 

 coal bed, suggesting that the parent plant 

 was an early member of the plant com- 

 munity. 



