CALCAREOUS ALGAE OF THE MIDDLE EAST 47 



Horizon. Upper Cretaceous, North Africa, Western Mediterranean and Middle 

 East. 



Material. From the subsurface Turonian of Musaiyib well, Hilla Liwa, Iraq ; 

 also from the subsurface Turonian of Ras Sadr Well, Trucial Oman, Arabia. 



Remarks. This little alga was described by Pia from the Cenomanian-Turonian 

 of Libya. In the Middle East, at the two localities given above, it is fragmentary 

 and very poorly-preserved, but in both cases is associated with Trinocladus tripoli- 

 tanus Raineri and the codiacid Boueina pygmaea Pia as at the type-locality ; the 

 range of this little algal microflorule is therefore Upper Cretaceous. 



Dissocladella sp. 



Fragments of a small dasyclad showing branching of Dissocladella pattern have 

 been noted in the north Iraq Maestrichtian, but are insufficient for description as a 

 species. The occurrences are in the Tanjero Clastic Formation at Balambo (Sule- 

 mania Liwa), in the Aqra/Hadiena Limestone of Chalki Islam (Mosul Liwa), and in 

 the subsurface Formation of Makhul no. 1 well (Mosul Liwa). 



Dissocladella savitriae Pia 



(PI. 11, figs. 1-3) 



1936b Dissocladella savitriae Pia : 15, pi. 1, figs. 1-4, pi. 2, fig. 4, text-figs. 1-9. 

 1955b Dissocladella savitriae Pia ; Elliott : 126, 128, pi. 1, fig. 2. 



Description. Thin-walled hollow calcareous cylinder, length of maximum 

 fragment observed, 3-5 mm. ; (estimated length in life, up to 17 mm.), external 

 diameter up to 17 mm., internal diameter from 69-78% of external in specimens 

 measured, frequently about 71%. Successive verticils are represented by thin 

 superimposed consecutive rings, of thickness up to 0-21 mm., feebly cemented 

 together, which readily come apart and are themselves intrinsically fragile from their 

 proportions. Rings are straight-sided within, convex without, giving the thallus an 

 annular appearance externally. Each ring contains up to 44 globular or bluntly 

 ovoid sporangial swellings of up to 0-13 mm. diameter : these are connected to the 

 interior by a short primary canal of 0-026 mm. diameter and to the exterior by several 

 bunched secondaries (4-6 from the type-description ; Middle East material does not 

 conflict with this) . The secondaries are from the sporangial swelling itself, not from 

 the primary ; they are about 0-013 mm. in diameter and they widen to emerge on 

 the external surface as pores. 



Horizon. Palaeocene of Middle East ; " Danian " of India. 



Material. Solid specimens (broken tubes) and random thin-sections from 

 numerous localities. In Iraqi Kurdistan, from the Sinjar Formation (Palaeocene- 

 Lower Eocene) of Banik (Mosul Liwa), Kolosh Formation (Palaeocene-Lower Eocene) 

 of Bekhme and of Rowanduz (Erbil Liwa), and of Surdash (Sulemania Liwa). 

 Probably present (very poor preservation) in the Palaeocene limestones of the south- 

 western desert, Iraq. In Arabia, from the subsurface Lower Eocene, Dukhan no. 3 



