REINSCHOSPORA 



53 



the marginal outline. In some forms the 

 interradial appendages may be dissected 

 into a row of spines, their ends similar 

 to the flange in marginal contour. When 

 compressed, folds are relatively infre- 

 quent due to preferred sedimentary ori- 

 entation parallel to the transverse plane 

 of the spores. 



Size. — Forms now known range from 

 about 30 to 85 microns in diameter. 



Ornamentation. — Body smooth to gran- 

 ulose ; flange is closely striate to markedly 

 fimbriate, sometimes so incised as to form 

 a row of apiculae, long in the interradial 

 region and much shorter toward the cor- 

 ners. 



Haptotypic structures. — Trilete rays 

 well defined and extended nearly to the 

 corners of the spore body ; it is uncertain 

 whether the fimbriate flange can be inter- 

 preted as equivalent to an arcuate ridge 

 since, contrary to usual arcuate ridge de- 

 velopment, it is least evident opposite the 

 ends of the rays. Reinsch has illustrated 

 forms with granules in rows paralleling 

 the trilete rays; these may have a hapto- 

 typic origin, and might be equivalent to 

 arcuate ridges in mode of formation. 



Spore coat. — Moderately thin (less than 

 3 microns) and of uniform thickness ex- 

 cept at the equator where it is joined by 

 the flange. 



Affinities. — Unknown ; possibly filicin- 

 ean. The similarities in morphology sug- 

 gest that this is a group having natural 

 significance. It may be related to Granu- 

 lati-sporites. 



Remarks. — The genus is reported from 

 central Russia by Reinsch (1884, his di- 

 agnoses 62-66, incL), from the Ruhr by 

 Loose (1934), and from Lower Pennsyl- 

 vanian coals of Tennessee by Bentall. 

 Dolgner (1932, pi. 28, fig. 4) has illus- 

 trated a form with marginal spines, from 

 Moscow brown coal, which is congeneric 

 with our interpretation of Reinschospora; 

 Brokaw has recently found somewhat 

 similar forms in the coal of the Bogota 

 cyclothem (upper McLeansboro age) in 

 the Pennsylvanian of Illinois. The geno- 

 type species described below is based on 

 the Tennessee material. The generic 

 name honoring Reinsch seems appropri- 

 ate inasmuch as Blackburn and Temperley 

 (1936) have shown that the algae for- 

 merly known as Reinschia probably now 



50m 



Fig. 2 — Reinschospora hellitas sp. nov., drawing 

 of holotype. 



can be identified with Botryococcus. 

 Reinsch's work still is significant and con- 

 tinues to command respect for his volu- 

 minous observations. 



1. Reinschospora bellitas Bentall, sp. nov. 



Text figure 2 



Description. — Compressed spore subtriangular 

 in outline with inter-radial margins usually con- 

 cave. Diameters vary from 57 to 76 ix, with an 

 average of about 68 ix. Spore coat less than 2 fx 

 in thickness and levigate. Trilete rays extend 

 four-fifths or more of the distance to the 

 equator. Flange usually originates slightly 

 proximal from the spore equator. Fimbriate 

 elements of flange number about 50 between 

 ray extremities and have a maximum length of 

 28 II midway between rays and a minimum 

 length of four to five at the ends of the rays. 

 Incisions of flange, when present, apparently 

 due to imperfect preservation. 



Reinschospora hellitas has been isolated from 

 Angel and Battle Creek seams of the southern 

 Tennessee coal field. Though never numerically 

 abundant, it is present in nearly all samples. 

 It is very similar to R. speciosa (Loose) but is 

 somewhat larger in size. Occurring with R. 

 bellitas is a form essentially comparable in all 

 characters except that the flange is absent. 

 The relationship, if any, between these forms is 

 not known. 



Holotype — text figure 2. Tennessee Division 

 of Geology collection ; Battle Creek seam, north 

 side of Sweden Cove, Marion County, Ten- 

 nessee. 



2. Reinschospora speciosa (Loose) S. W. 

 and B., comb. nov. 



Alati-sporites speciosiis Loose, 1934, 

 Inst. Palaobot. Arb., vol. 4, no. 3, p. 151, 

 pl. 7, fig. L 



