FRUCTIFICATIONS FROM THE MAZON CREEK FLORA 



23 



Text fig. 9 - Cross section of ? Scole- 



copteris sp. with interpre- 

 tation of fertile structure. 



(Scott, 1932), described from the Per- 

 nio- Carboniferous of Autun, France. As 

 the mode of preservation is different 

 (petrifaction versus compression) and 

 the number of our specimens small, 

 further comparison cannot be made. 

 Jongmans and Gothan (1925) described 

 a compression species, Scolecopteris 

 (ex Pecopteris ) verbeeki Gothan and 

 Jongmans, 1925, from the Stephanian 

 of Sumatra. It has smaller pinnules 

 than the forms considered here, but has a somewhat similar aspect in preservation 

 (Jongmans and Gothan, 1925, pi. 3, figs, la, 2a). 



The two specimens described here contain different spore genera but, with 

 the lack of soral and sporangial data, the establishment of two new species is 

 not warranted at this time. Therefore, they are designated ? Scolecopteris sp. 1 

 (C 10800) and ? S. sp. 2 (C 10803). The designation to the genus Scolecopteris 

 is only tentative, because the structure of the base of the sorus cannot be de- 

 termined from the compression. 



Spores from several other species of Scolecopteris have been described 

 and are reviewed here for comparison. Scott (in Potonie, 1962, p. 98-99) de- 

 scribed the spores of Scolecopteris oliveri Scott, 1932, as monolete, oval, 

 rugose or tuberculate, and about 18 nm in diameter. The spores of _S. eleqans 

 Zenker, 1837, were considered trilete, circular, and finely punctate by Stras- 

 burger, 1874 (in Potonie, 1962), but Mamay (1950) concluded that the spores of 

 this species are smooth. Mamay also listed two species (S. latifolia Graham, 

 1933, and .S. minor Hoskins, 1926) that have trilete, smooth spores; two species 

 (S. iowensis Mamay, 1950, and J3. major Mamay, 1950) that have trilete, reticu- 

 late spores; and one species (S. incisifolia Mamay, 1950) with bilateral smooth 

 spores. Ewart (1961) found monolete smooth spores, about 12 nm long, in the 

 species jS. monothrix Ewart, 1961, and circular, smooth spores, about 15 M-m 

 in diameter, with "a crescent- shaped indentation" in S. illinoensis Ewart, 1961. 

 Scolecopteris radforthii Andrews, 1943, contains trilete, laevigate spores which 

 were considered immature. According to Potonie" (1965, p. 44) the spores of S. 

 polvmorpha (Brongniart, 1828) Stur, 1883, are also immature, trilete, subtriangu- 

 lar, and laevigate. 



REFERENCES 



Abbott, M. L. , 1954, Revision of the Paleozoic fern genus Oligocarpia: Palaeonto- 

 graphica B, v. 96, p. 39-65. 



Alpern, B., 1959, Contribution ci l 1 etude palynologique et petrographique des char- 

 bons francais: Ph.D. thesis, 1' Universite de Paris, privately published, 

 314 p. 



Andrews, H. N., 1943, Contributions to our knowledge of American Carboniferous 

 floras. VI. Certain filicinean fructifications: Ann. Missouri Bot. Garden, 

 v. 30, p. 429-442. 



