44 



PENNSYLVANIA^ SPORES OF ILLINOIS 



readily distinguished from it by the punc- 

 tate ornamentation of the spore coat. 



GENUS Lycospora S. W. and B., 1944 

 Plate 10, figures 3-7 



Lycospora is one of the more important 

 small spore genera in Illinois coal beds. It 

 is known to occur in every coal bed below 

 the Trivoli No. 8 coal bed. The fact that 

 no species of Lycospora have been isolated 

 from No. 8 and younger coal beds indicates 

 a major floral change in middle McLeans- 

 boro time in Illinois. The elimination of 

 the plants represented by the spores of 

 Lycospora is of extreme importance and 

 may indicate either a step of organic evolu- 

 tion owing to changes in environment or 

 to senility. Whatever the cause of the lack 

 of Lycospora in upper McLeansboro beds, 

 it is of great value for correlation purposes. 



Our knowledge of the spores contained 

 in fructifications of Lepidostrobus clearly 

 indicates a close relationship with the iso- 

 lated spores of Lycospora. Therefore, the 

 presence of Lycospora is taken to indicate 

 the presence of arborescent lepidodendrids. 



The following description of the genus 

 Lycospora is based on four previously pub- 

 lished species and five new species : Spores 

 are radial, trilete, round to subtriangular 

 in transverse plane, usually greatly com- 

 pressed with or without folds, and with 

 an equatorial ridge. The known size range 

 is from 18 to 45 microns. The surface 

 ornamentation may be nearly levigate, 

 granulose, punctate to rugose. The trilete 

 rays are distinct and generally extend near- 

 ly to or to the margin of the spore coat. 

 Lips may be absent or present, and when 

 present they are usually elevated. The 

 commissure may be thin but is generally 

 distinct. The equatorial ridge is usually 

 fairly well developed and in one species, in 

 which it is greatly developed, it almost 

 reaches flange-like proportions. The spore 

 coat is thin and translucent. Apical 

 papillae are present in L. brevijuga sp. nov. 



The following are new species : 



1. Lycospora brevijuga 



2. L. parva 



3. L. punctata 



4. L. granulata 



5. L. pseudoannulata 



Lycospora brevijuga sp. nov. 

 Plate 10, figure 5 



Description. — Spores are radial, trilete, 

 roundly triangular in transverse plane, 

 without folds, and have a definite but small 

 equatorial ridge. The holotype measures 

 35.7 X 38.8 microns, and the known size 

 range is from 32 to 41 microns. The tri- 

 lete rays are distinct and extend to the 

 periphery of the spore coat. The lips are 

 small but elevated, and the commissure is 

 distinct and wide. The spore coat is mildly 

 punctate and 2 microns thick, apical papil- 

 lae present. 



Holotype.— Maceration 603-C Slide 7, 

 No. 2 coal bed, Fulton County, Illinois. 



Discussion. — L. brevijuga sp. nov. is 

 characterized by long rays and a very small 

 equatorial ridge. It may be conspecific 

 with type D 1? Knox (1938, p. 459), if 

 apical papillae are present. 



Lycospora parva sp. nov. 

 Plate 16, figure 5 



Description. — Spores are radial, trilete, 

 roundly triangular in transverse plane, and 

 are usually without body folds except at the 

 periphery of the body adjacent to the flange. 

 The flange is similar in construction to 

 that of L. brevijuga sp. nov. and is slightly 

 wider. The holotype measures 26.2 X 29.4 

 microns, and the known size range is from 

 25.1 to 32.5 microns. The rays are 8 to 

 10.5 microns long and extend almost to the 

 flange. The lips are elevated and the com- 

 missure is thin. The ornamentation of the 

 spore coat is minutely punctate and is dis- 

 cernible only with the proper adjustment of 

 light, substage, and iris diaphragms. The 

 spore coat is 1.5 to 2.25 microns thick. 



Holotype. — Maceration 591-B Slide 5, 

 Danville No. 7 coal bed, Vermilion Coun- 

 ty, Illinois. 



Discussion. — This species is obviously 

 closely related to L. pusillus (Ibrahim) S. 



