NAME Multicellaesporites
AGE    AGE span:  mya
K&J CLASSIFICATION (2000) Fungi Imperfecti, Phragmosporae.
FIGURE(S)
FIGURE REFERENCE
SPECIES, AUTHORITY Multicellaesporites Elsik 1968, p. 269, emend. Kumar 1990.
LOCATION
ORIG DESCRIPTION* ORIGINAL DIAGNOSIS: Inaperturate, psilate fungal spores of three or more cells; two or more septa. Shape variable around a long axis.

EMENDED DIAGNOSES (Sheffy & Dilcher 1971, p. 269): Inaperturate, psilate to scabrate fungal spores or algal bodies of three or more cells; two or more septa. Shape variable around a long axis.

(Kumar 1990, p. 22): Fungal spores multicellate, elongate. A longitudinal slit or furrow present. Spore wall smooth or ornamented or differentially colored or thickened.
COMMENTS* (Sheffy & Dilcher): The description was emended to include a wider range of ornamentation than found in the type species.

(Kumar): Elsik (1968) diagnosed the genus as "inaperturate", whereas the type species (pl. 2, fig. 15) was diagnosed as "the grain split longitudinally". The present study reveals that the genus has a tendency to bear a longitudinal slit or furrow. Hence, it has been accordingly emended.
PUBLICATION REFERENCE Elsik WC. 1968. Palynology of a Paleocene Rockdale lignite, Milam County, Texas. I. Morphology and taxonomy; Pollen et Spores, v. 10, p. 263-314.

Sheffy MV, Dilcher DL. 1971. Morphology and taxonomy of fungal spores; Palaeontographica, Abt. B, v. 133 p. 34-51.

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 Kalgutkar and Jansonius (2000) adopt the emended diagnosis of Kumar (1990), which largely agrees with the emended diagnosis of Elsik (1978, 1992; unpublished) that Kalgutkar and Jansonius (2000) here paraphrase as follows:

Fungal spores, generally of three to five cells; overall shape fusiform to elliptical, commonly with a slight curvature in the long axis; generally, the equatorial section is a plane of symmetry; commonly with a subtle, but distinct, longitudinal furrow, crease, thinning or rupture of the wall on the concave side of the spore, that may be expressed in only the terminal cells, or along the whole spore; spore wall smooth or with minute sculpturing; septa distinct or thin, commonly with a perforation or septal folds.

Multicellites gen. nov. is inaperturate; Pluricellaesporites is hilate.
TYPE TYPE: Multicellaesporites nortonii Elsik 1968, p. 269, pl. 2, fig. 15.
ALL NAMES (Including synonyms) Warkallisporonites Ramanujam & Rao 1978. ; Multicellaesporites;
SERIAL NUMBER 1018
PUBLIC COMMENTS
 *For source, see Publication Reference.