Some Pennsylvanian arborescent lycopsid cones and their microspores from the British coalfields

Abstract

Six fructifications of arborescent lycopsids and their in situ spores from the Westphalian Coal Measures of the Pennine Basin and the Clackmannan Coalfield in Scotland, UK, were studied to improve our knowledge of their taxonomic characteristics and to provide a basis for the comparison of the floras of the British and Czech coalfields. The cones, which yielded in situ spores, were assigned to the genera

Microspinosporites, a new genus of Palaeozoic pseudosaccate miospores of flemingitalean affinity

“…Notice the laevigate contact area, which makes about three-quarters of the radius, the developed labrum and the microspinate part of the proximal surface. From Hemsley et al (1993) (Opluštil & Bek 2009) are pseudosaccate, with microspinate distal and proximal surfaces except for the contact area and have no cingulum. All of them correspond to the new miospore genus Microspinosporites.…”

“…Cingulate Lycospora species were divided into morphologically different types that were produced by different parent cone and plant species (Bek & Opluštil 2004, Opluštil & Bek 2009, Bek 2012 …”

A new species of Lepidostrobus from the Early Westphalian of South Joggins, Nova Scotia, Canada

“…The records of in situ spores of arborescent lycopsid fructifications are not abundant (Felix 1954;Abbott 1963;Chaloner in Boureau et al 1967;Balbach 1967;Brack 1970;Brack-Hanes & Thomas 1983;Thomas 1978Thomas , 1988Willard 1989a, b) but today descriptions, classifications and illustrations of in situ spores are accepted as parts of diagnoses, and descriptions of fructifications or parent plants. Significant progress in the study of lycopsid fructifications and their in situ spores have been made recently by Czech palaeobotanists and palynologists (Bek et al 2001(Bek et al , 2008(Bek et al , 2009aDrábková et al 2005;Libertín & Bek 2005), including study Lepidostrobus strobili (Bek & Opluštil 1998, 2004, 2006Opluštil & Bek 2009). …”