42 



PALEOZOIC FOSSIL SPORES 



actual specific status in others, these 

 changes can be effected without undue 

 taxonomic difficulty or confusion since 

 type material is indicated in all instances. 

 Cystosporites has an extensive range 

 in the Carboniferous as is best shown by 

 tables of spore distribution given by 

 Zerndt (1937), and so far as is now 

 known is restricted to this period. The 

 type species was described from Illinois 

 No. 6 (Herrin) coal. 



1. Cystosporites breretonensis Schopf, 1938, 

 Illinois Geol. Survey Rept. Inv. 50, pp. 

 40-42, pi. 3, fig. 5, pi. 8, figs. 1-4. 



Triletes cf . T. giganteus Zerndt, Schopf, 

 1936, Illinois Acad. Sci. Trans, vol. 28, 

 no. 2, p. 107, fig. 5 (holotype of C. 

 breretonensis) . 



Triletes cf. T. giganteus Zerndt, Schopf. 

 1936, idem. p. 175. 



Cystosporites breretonensis forma abor- 

 Tivus Schopf, 1938, Illinois Geol. Survey 

 Rept. Inv. 50, p. 40, pi. 1, fig. 10, pi. 8, fig. 4. 



Cystosporites breretonensis forma retic- 

 ULATUS Schopf, 1938, idem, p. 40, pi. 1, fig. 

 11. 



2. Cystosporites giganteus (Zerndt) Schopf, 

 1938, idem, p. 39. 



Triletes giganteus Zerndt, 1930, Acad, 

 polonaise sci. Bull, internal., ser. B, p. 

 71, pis. 9, 10, and 11. 



Type 1 Zerndt, 1931, Acad, polonaise 

 sci. Bull, internal., ser. A, p. 170. 



Sporites giganteus (Zerndt) Wicher, 

 1934, Inst. Palaobot. Arb., vol. 4, no. 4, 

 p. 172, pi. 8, fig. 9. 



Triletes giganteus Zerndt, 1937, Acad, 

 polonaise sci. Trav. Geol. no. 3, p. 4. 



Cystosporites giganteus forma varius 

 (Wicher) S. W. and B., comb. nov. 



Triletes (Lagenicula) glabratus Zerndt. 

 1930, Acad, polonaise sci. Bull, internal., 

 ser. B., p. 54, pi. 8, figs. 38-41. 



(?) Type 29 Zerndt, 1931, idem, ser. 

 A., p. 175. 



Type 30 Zerndt, 1931, idem, ser. A., p. 

 175, pi. 8, figs. 26-27. 



Type 30 Zerndt, 1932, Jahrb. fur das 

 Berg-u. Huttenwesen in Sachsen. Tahrg. 

 1932, p. 13A, pi. 1, figs. 1, 2, 3. 



Sporites varius Wicher, 1934, Inst. 

 Palaobot. Arb., vol. 4, no. 4, p. 89, pi. 6, 

 figs. 2, 3, 4, 6. 



Genus Parasporites Schopf, 1938 

 Plate 2, figures 16-16b 

 Symmetry. — Prepollen grains appear- 

 ing bilateral due to opposing bladders. The 

 fundamental symmetry, clearly shown by 

 the body, is radial. 



Shape. — Body nearly spherical, blad- 

 ders of moderate inflation placed laterally 

 and opposite one another on the spore 

 give an oval external outline. On com- 

 pression few folds are formed and these 

 generally do not modify the profile unless 

 the plane of the bladders fail to coincide 

 with the plane of compression. 



Size. — Relatively large; species attain 

 as much as 300 microns length from one 

 bladder tip to the other. 



Ornamentation. — Body wall may be 

 rugose, bladder membrane lightly sculp- 

 tured. 



Haptotypic features. — Relatively incon- 

 spicuous and evidently modified in post- 

 tetrad development. Trilete rays often 

 developed with two long rays and one 

 characteristically shorter. One pyramic 

 area may sometimes be distinguished; 

 except in this area no arcuate marking is 

 evident. 



Spore coat. — Body wall (exospore) 

 tending to be dense and of moderate rela- 

 tive thickness ; bladder membrane (peri- 

 spore), relatively thin and quite trans- 

 lucent. 



Affinity. — There is considerable prob- 

 ability that the plants represented by Para- 

 sporites are gymnospermous. The peri- 

 sporal bladder development is strongest 

 evidence of this. It is still a question 

 whether the genus should be assigned with 

 the Pteridosperms, Cordaitaleans or the 

 Conifers (cf. Schopf, 1938, pp. 47-8). 



The genus has some evident claim to 

 affinity with Florinites, S. W. and B., 

 Pityosporites Seward, Alisporites Daugh- 

 erty, and to Endosporites Wilson and Coe. 

 Perhaps it is closest to Endosporites, but 

 as these forms are contemporaneous their 

 relationship cannot easily be regarded as 

 direct. 



Remarks. — The genus is monotypic 

 being represented only by the species 

 given below which has been found in 

 upper Carbondale and lower McLeans- 

 boro age coals of Illinois. The point upon 

 which greatest emphasis should be placed 

 is that the development of proximal 

 sutures is such as to indicate proximal 

 gametophytic exit similar to Endosporites 

 and Monoletes. Aside from this and its 

 rather large size Parasporites has pollen 



