GENUS TRILETES 



41 



Table 1.— Comparative Data on Meoaspores of the Triletes hirsutus and T. globosus Types. 



Original citation arranged approximately according to age— oldest at bottom. 



(Measurements in microns.) 



Original citation 



Spore 



body 



diameter 



(average) 



Ray length, 



ratio of 



length to 



spore 



radius 



(average) 



Maximum 

 apex 

 height 

 range 



(average) 



Spine 

 length 



Triletes tenuispinosus 498-660 175-257 90 



Zerndt, 1934 (612) 2/3 



Sporites hirsutus 750-850 2/3 — 



Loose, 1932, in Wiener, 1934a 



Apiculati-sporites hirsutus .... 700-890 2/3 — 

 Loose, in Loose, 1934 



Sporonites hirsutus 700-890 2/3 — 



Loose, 1932 



Setosi-sporites hirsutus .... 530-620 nearly to 30^10(?) 



Loose, in Ibrahim, 1933 margin 



* Triletes globosus Arnold 480-770 3/5 115-165 



var. (C; (675) 



* Triletes cf. T. hirsutus 565-636 — 65 



(Loose) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall 



Triletes globosus 390-570 (180) (110) 



Arnold, 1950 (480) 



*Triletes globosu s Arnold .... 385-640 2/3-3/4 75 



(535) 



*Triletes globosu s Arnold 390-640 2/3-3/4 100 



var. (B) (545) 



Triletes tenuispinosus as in var. I as in var. I as in var. I 



v. brevispinosa (var. II) Zerndt, 1937a (?) (?) (?) 



Triletes tenuisopinosus 435-644 130-240 64-117 



v. brevispinosa (var. I) (520) (177) (113) 

 Zerndt, 1937a 



Seto si sporites hirsutus 450-975 — — 



var. brevispinosa (Zerndt), Potonie (700) 

 and Kremp, in Horst 1955 



^Triletes globosus Arnold var. (A) . . 330-630 3/4 80-130 



(515) 



*Descnbed m text. 



Spine 

 character 



Coat 

 thick- 

 ness 

 range 

 (average) 



48-80 



Sometimes 

 branching, 

 anastomosing 





45-200 



Single and 

 branching 



20 Ml 



45-80 



Branching 



28-32 



45-80 



Branching 



— 



35-50 



Single and 

 branching 



— 



5-26 



Tubercles 



26-42 



37-87 



Branching 



15-35 



35-50 



Peg-like, shal- 

 lowly cleft 



(17; 



21-61 



Peg-like, shal- 

 lowly cleft 



13-28 



15-57 



Catenulate, 

 with flange 



usually- 

 less than 

 16 



36-96 



Often joined, 



densely 



spaced 



as in 

 var. 



K?) 



6 



Tubercles, 

 sometimes 

 spinose 



(12) 



to 30 



(15) 



Kurze "Haare 



— 



10-20 

 (flange 

 up to 30, 



Catenulate, 

 with flange 



10-15 



(A) and abraded spores of T. globosus var. 

 (B) , no well preserved transitional forms 

 are recognized. Spores typical of T. globo- 

 sus are distinct from the varietal forms, but 

 there are transitional forms (pi. 5, fig. 6) 

 with spines intermediate, with regard to 

 depth of notching or degree of branching, 

 between those described for T. globosus 

 and those described for T. cf. T. hirsutus. 

 Some of these transitional forms occur in 



the "Makanda" Coal (maceration 906) 

 and in a shale (maceration 957) below the 

 lowest coal at Goose Lake, Illinois, and in 

 a coal (maceration 799) in the Mansfield 

 (?) Formation in Owen Count), Indiana. 



In addition, some spores typical of Tri- 

 letes globosus occur with those of T. cf. T. 

 hirsutus. Those of T. globosus var. (C) 

 are similar in body form but have a greater 

 apical development, thicker spore coat, and 



