NAME Monoporisporites niger
AGE Early-Middle Miocene.   AGE span: 23.03...11.608 mya
K&J CLASSIFICATION (2000) Fungi Imperfecti, Amerosporae.
FIGURE(S)
Image of
Pl.3fig.32.jpg
FIGURE REFERENCE Kumar P. 1990. Fungal remains from the Miocene Quilon beds of Kerala State, South India; Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, v. 63, p. 13-28.
SPECIES, AUTHORITY M. niger (Kumar) Kalgutkar & Jansonius 2000
LOCATION Padappakkara, Quilon District, Kerala State, South India.
ORIG DESCRIPTION* Fungal spore unicellular, monoporate and elliptical with acutely rounded ends. Size 30-35 x 13-15 µm. Single pore at one end. Spore wall smooth, ± 0.75 µm thick, slightly thicker around the pore.
COMMENTS* Lacrimasporonites singularis Sheffy & Dilcher 1971 differs from L. niger in being smaller (10.6 x 16.4 µm) and oval to oblong in shape, and in having a pore at one side of longitudinal centre. Lacrimasporonites basidii Elsik 1968 is smaller (9-14 x 6-8 µm) and has a spatulate shape with a distinctly two-layered spore wall. Lacrimasporonites sp. Elsik & Dilcher (1974) is smaller and has thinner wall around the pore. Lacrimasporonites magnus Saxena & Singh 1983 is much longer (120 µm) and has a broader pore (27 µm diam.) with thickened pore margin.

Affinity: Elsik (1968) suggested that such fungal spores could be related to Coprinus, Cortinarius and Stropharia of Basidiomycetes (Graham, 1962).

Derivation of specific name: For its diagnostic dark wall (Latin niger = black).
PUBLICATION REFERENCE Kumar P. 1990. Fungal remains from the Miocene Quilon beds of Kerala State, South India; Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, v. 63, p. 13-28.
K&J REMARKS
TYPE
ALL NAMES (Including synonyms) Lacrimasporonites niger Kumar 1990, p. 15, pl. 1, fig. 6.; Monoporisporites niger
SERIAL NUMBER 994
PUBLIC COMMENTS
 *For source, see Publication Reference.