GENUS CYSTOSPORITES 



53 



Bethel (Mooretown) Formation (macera- 

 tion 943) and Hardinsburg (maceration 

 810) Formation of Kentucky. They are rare 

 in most samples of the coal in the Vienna 

 Formation (macerations 687A, 758, 765) 

 of Illinois, but abundant in one sample 

 (maceration 168). They are also present 

 in the coal in the Tar Springs Formation 

 (maceration 760) of Illinois. A number of 

 specimens were noted in the Upper Stony 

 Gap Sandstone (maceration 911) of Ken- 

 tucky. Therefore, although generally not 

 abundant, spores of this species are com- 

 monly present in upper Mississippian coals. 



The spores are rare to present in the 

 Lick Creek Coal of the Black Creek Group 

 and in the Upper Ream, Blue Creek, and 

 Newcastle Coals of the Mary Lee Group of 

 the Warrior Basin, Alabama. 



The spores are rare to present in all coals 

 of the Caseyville Group, except the Battery 

 Rock Coal (maceration 733) from Ken- 

 tucky. They are common in older Casey- 

 ville coals (macerations 798, 796, 795, 908) . 



Spores are rare to present in coals of the 

 Tradewater Group: "Sub-Babylon" (mac- 

 eration 144), Babylon (maceration 523 A) , 

 Pope Creek (maceration 602) , Murphys- 

 boro (macerations 550, 915, 628B), New 

 Burnside (maceration 938A) , an unnamed 

 coal bed just above the Stonefort (macera- 

 tion 639), Wiley (maceration 525A-B) , 

 Davis (maceration 61 8A) , DeKoven (mac- 

 erations 619B, 621D), and in an unnamed 

 coal bed above the DeKoven (maceration 

 35). 



In the Carbondale Group the spores are 

 abundant in some samples of Colchester 

 (No. 2) Coal (macerations 824, 825, 826) , 

 and rare to present in other samples (mac- 

 erations 603B-C, 579B-C) . The spores are 

 rare in the Indiana Coal IV (maceration 

 881), abundant in Briar Hill (No. 5a) 

 Coal (maceration 633A) , and present in 

 Herrin (No. 6) Coal (Schopf, 1938) . They 

 are present in the Indiana VII (?) Coal 

 (maceration 939A) , and rare fragments of 

 uncertain identity occur in the "West 

 Franklin" (maceration 813b) Coal. Both 

 of these coals are in strata equivalent to the 

 McLeansboro Group of Illinois. 



Cystosporites verrucosus Dijkstra, 1946 

 Plate 11, figures 4-8 



1946 Cystosporites? verrucosus Dijkstra, p. 60-61; 



pi. 15, figs. 161-166. 

 1955 Cystosporites verrucosus Dijkstra, in Dijkstra 



(1955c), p. 114-116; pi. A, figs. 1-7. 



Description. — Fertile megaspores saclike 

 and more or less oval in outline, usually 

 laterally compressed, from 1730 to 3260 ^ 

 in length (four complete specimens meas- 

 ured) . Apical prominence present, partly 

 broken away on all specimens examined. 

 Spore coat 7 to 21 p thick, composed of 

 fibers arranged in a meshlike structure with 

 the pores or openings in some specimens so 

 minute that they are observable only at 

 high magnifications (pi. 11, fig. 7), ar- 

 ranged in folds radiating from the apical 

 region and extending half or less the length 

 of the spore (pi. 11, fig. 5) . Spore coat set 

 with small, bunt to sharply pointed spines 

 25 to 85 fx in length and 20 to 40 ^ in diam- 

 eter across the base which may be bulbose 

 (pi. 11, figs. 7, 8) . Spines most densely set 

 in the apical region, widely spaced distally. 

 Converging spinose folds defining the arcu- 

 ate ridges, demarcating the distal surface 

 from the smooth, frequently folded contact 

 areas. Some complete fertile specimens 

 possessing a distal appendage (pi. 11, figs. 

 4, 5) , composed of a more or less homo- 

 geneous granular material, which is gener- 

 ally readily separable from the megaspore 

 body. 



Isolated abortive megaspores (pi. 11, fig. 

 6) more or less spherical, tending to an 

 oblate shape in lateral compressions, circu- 

 lar in proximo-distal compressions, up to 

 410 fx in length (excluding apical promi- 

 nence) and ranging from 320 to 515^ in 

 equatorial diameter. Apical prominence 

 spatula-like in shape, up to 307 ^ in height. 

 Apical prominence and contact areas more 

 or less unornamented. Spore coat densely 

 fibrous to granulose, 15 /x thick on one 

 specimen, set with spines 20 to 40 ^ in 

 length and 10 to 20 ^ in diameter. Abortive 

 spores still attached to fertile megaspores 

 generally smaller, possessing a less spinose 

 or nonspinose coat, 



