NAME Sporocarpon anomalum
AGE Carboniferous.   AGE span: 359.2...299 mya
K&J CLASSIFICATION (2000) Ascomycetes, Eurotiales.
FIGURE(S)
Image of
Pl.29fig.11.jpg
FIGURE REFERENCE Williamson WC. 1878. On the organization of fossil plants of the Coal Measures. Part IX; Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, v. 169, p. 319-364.
SPECIES, AUTHORITY S. anomalum (Williamson) Kalgutkar & Jansonius 2000
LOCATION England.
ORIG DESCRIPTION* [combined description] "These objects consist of a central cell, surrounded by a ring of 8 or 9 somewhat obovate scales, each one of which seems to be a single cell. In two cases the central area is further subdivided (101, a) into a small six-sided centre, surrounded by 6 regular subdivisions; but whether these surfaces represent 7 distinct cells, or whether they are merely the superficial impressions of other cells with which they were formerly in close contact, I am unable to determine. I incline to the latter conclusion, since they appear to me to be only impressed on one surface of the area, corresponding with the centre of fig. 102, b. The peripheral appendages are evidently thin, because their margins often overlap each other very distinctly. That these are free objects and not mere sections of some elongated structure is obvious from their number and from the frequent way in which two of them partially overlap each other. They may possibly be some new form of sporocarp. Until we discover further information respecting them it may be convenient to recognise them by the name of Oidospora anomala." "Their diameter is about .0023 inch [= 60 µm]."
COMMENTS*
PUBLICATION REFERENCE Williamson WC. 1878. On the organization of fossil plants of the Coal Measures. Part IX; Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, v. 169, p. 319-364.
K&J REMARKS Williamson (1880) indicated that the minute objects he assigned to the monotypic genus Oidospora, may be very young forms of Sporocarpon. McLean (1922) transferred Oidospora anomala to the genus Sporocarpon, under the name Sporocarpon oidospora. According to the ICBN, the latter name is illegitimate, and must be rejected, because the older specific epithet "anomala" should not have been replaced by the new "oidospora". The correct binomial Sporocarpon anomalum (Williamson) comb. nov. is formally proposed here.
TYPE
ALL NAMES (Including synonyms) Oidospora anomala Williamson 1878, p. 357, pl. 25, fig. 102 [lectotype, selected by Jansonius & Hills (1976), card no. 1811]. Sporocarpon oidospora McLean 1922, p. 78 (illegitimate name).; Sporocarpon anomalum
SERIAL NUMBER 1604
PUBLIC COMMENTS
 *For source, see Publication Reference.