GENUS PUNCTATISPORITES 



63 



Danville (No. 7) , Macoupin, and Flanni- 

 gan Coals. Very few samples of Tradewater 

 or younger coals lack M oriole tes prepollen. 



Genus Parasporites Schopf, 1938 



Type species. — Parasporites maccabei Schopf, 1938, 

 by monotypv. 



Description. — These prepollen grains are 

 characterized by opposite and distally dis- 

 posed bladders, appearing bilaterally sym- 

 metrical. Fundamentally they are radially 

 symmetrical and possess a proximal trilete 

 mark. Two of the rays, extending more or 

 less towards the lateral bladders, may be 

 well developed; the third ray is shorter 

 than the other two and commonly indis- 

 tinct. The over-all dimension as given by 

 Schopf (1938) and Schopf, Wilson, and 

 Bentall (1944) is as much as 300 p. The 

 spore body is round to oval. The body wall 

 is relatively thicker than the bladder mem- 

 brane, which extends completely around 

 the body but is expanded into bladders 

 only laterally and may be rugose. 



Affinity. — The affinity of these prepollen 

 grains is still in question. Schopf, Wilson, 

 and Bentall (1944) stated that they may 

 be allied to the pteridosperms, cordaita- 

 leans, or conifers. 



Occurrence. — Previous records of the oc- 

 currence of these microfossils show them 

 restricted to coal beds of the upper Carbon- 

 dale and lower McLeansboro Groups of 

 Illinois (Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall, 

 1944) . Present information extends their 

 stratigraphic range down to the Rock Is- 

 land (No. 1) Coal of the Tradewater 

 Group. This genus has not been reported 

 in other coal basins. 



Parasporites spp. 

 Plate 14, figures 11, 12 



Discussion. — Relatively few specimens 

 were found in any one sample and there- 

 fore there is no adequate basis either for 

 referring them to the one described species 

 or for making formal distinction on the 

 specific level. The total size, including 

 bladders, ranges from 257 to 340 /u . 



In general the specimens found in Trade- 

 water coals seem to have slightly thicker 



bladder membranes and a more ovoid body 

 outline (pi. 14, fig. 12) than do those illus- 

 trated by Schopf (1938) for Parasporites 

 maccabei. The specimen shown in figure 11 

 on plate 14 also has a more ovoid body 

 outline and the bladders are disposed lat- 

 erally and distally. The convolute rugose- 

 appearing folds seem to be a result of the 

 bladder membrane folded upon compres- 

 sion rather than the expression of rugosity 

 of the spore body coat. The medial deflec- 

 tion of the suture is commonly obvious, but 

 the third ray is generally not apparent. 

 Wrinkled and poorly preserved specimens 

 of Monoletes, as were noted in three differ- 

 ent coal beds, are superficially similar in 

 appearance and could easily be mistaken 

 for Parasporites. 



Occurrence. — Parasporites is represented 

 in the Rock Island (No. 1) (maceration 

 589) , Wiley (maceration 525A-B) , Davis 

 (maceration 518A), DeKoven (maceration 

 519A) Coals, and an unnamed coal above 

 the DeKoven (maceration 35) , all of the 

 Tradewater Group; in the Colchester (No. 

 2) (macerations 579B-C, 582), No. 5 

 (Schopf, 1938; Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall, 

 1944), Harrisburg (No. 5) (maceration 

 879), and Herrin (No. 6) (Schopf, 1938; 

 Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall, 1944) Coals of 

 the Carbondale Group; and in the "Di- 

 vide" (maceration 811) , Friendsville (mac- 

 erations 135 and 490D) Coals of the 

 McLeansboro Group. Parasporites is also 

 known from the Danville (No. 7) Coal. 



The prepollen seems to be most common 

 in an unnamed coal above the DeKoven, 

 Colchester (No. 2), Herrin (No. 6), and 

 the Friendsville Coals, although compared 

 to Monoletes, Parasporites is represented 

 by an insignificant number of prepollen. 



DESCRIPTIONS OF "SMALL" SPORES 



Genus Punctatisporites (Ibrahim) Schopf, 

 Wilson, and Bentall, 1944 



Punctatisporites obesus (Loose) 

 Potonie and Kremp, 1955 



1932 Sporonites obesus Loose, in Potonie, Ibra- 

 him, and Loose, p. 4.51; pi. 19, fig. 49. 

 1934 Laevigati-sporites obesus Loose, p. 145. 



