NAME Traquairia
AGE    AGE span:  mya
K&J CLASSIFICATION (2000) Ascomycetes, Eurotiales.
FIGURE(S)
FIGURE REFERENCE
SPECIES, AUTHORITY Traquairia Carruthers 1873, p. 126 ex Scott 1911, p. 462.
LOCATION
ORIG DESCRIPTION* ORIGINAL DIAGNOSIS: (Carruthers): The following report of a meeting was published: "In the investigation of a large series of sections of fossil plants, prepared by Mr. Norman, Mr. Carruthers had detected several spherical spiniferous bodies not unlike Xanthidia, but having a very different structure and a much greater size. The hollow globular cavity is included in a clearly defined structure, which Mr. Carruthers thinks is a fenestrated shell; but he had not been able to secure sections which completely established this point. Beyond this there is a considerable thickness of a spongy substance which rises externally into numerous cones, the bases of which are in close proximity. From the apex of each cone there proceeds a hollow echinate spine. The echinations are also hollow; and at the apparent base of the spine these echinations are produced into hollow tubes, which, repeatedly branching and anastomosing and increasing in number downwards, enclose the radial hollow spine in the mass. The whole arrangement of the parts agreed with what is found in some existing forms of Radiolarians, especially in some with solid spines; but the hollow structure of these organs in the fossil indicated relations with a small section of the recent group. No certain indication had yet been detected of the central capsule; but Mr. Carruthers having found starch and other readily perishable substances perfectly preserved in some fossils, had hopes that the central capsule may have left traces behind in some specimens. Rhizopods of the Radiolarian type, but without the central capsule, had been described by Cienkowski, and especially by Archer. Perhaps amongst them this Palaeozoic form may at last be placed. One would expect it to be a freshwater organism; yet it might, as a marine animal, indicate the first trace of one of the changes of level which were not infrequent in the Carboniferous period. Mr. Carruthers had associated with this interesting animal the name of his friend Prof. Traquair, of Dublin, to whom he was indebted for assistance in working out its structure. He proposed to name it Traquairia."

EMENDED DIAGNOSES (Scott 1911, p. 462): Traquairia is a spherical organism consisting of two parts surrounded by a sharply defined membrane: an inner capsule, often containing spores, and an outer part, which is surrounded by a thick gelatinous envelope. In this are embedded numerous hollow spines. The apparent bases of these spines are produced into hollow anastomosing tubes, that spread over the surface of the sphere, forming a complicated network. The spines are hollow and are perforated in every direction by projecting tubular pores. Emanating from these pores are delicate threads (pl. 39, fig. 3) which appear to lose themselves in the gelatinous envelope. Sometimes the threads form a regular network in it. The inner capsule, a definite brown membrane, can only be observed in the more perfectly preserved specimens. Spores are generally present, which appear to produce smaller spores. The Traquairiae occur in groups in the decayed wood of Lepidodendron and other plants.

(Stubblefield & Taylor 1983, p. 394): Cleistothecia with complex wall enclosing a spherical central cavity. Outer wall of extensively branched, interlaced hyphae, some of which extend as numerous, elongate, radiating, spine-like processes; spines may be continuous proximally with a smooth, non-tubular layer. Inner wall thinner, smooth, and non-tubular, never connected with spines; spines with branched extensions, continuous with network of narrow, interlaced hyphae. Central cavity empty, or containing smaller, scattered spherical bodies; internal spheres hollow, or with one to several inclusions.
COMMENTS* (Stubblefield & Taylor): Although Traquairia does not demonstrate all of the structures and developmental stages characteristic of extant Ascomycetes, we believe that the material described in this report indicates the existence of the Ascomycota as early as Carboniferous. There are perhaps two fundamental reasons why certain features of extant Ascomycetes have not been identified in the fossil forms. The first of these is the unlikelihood of finding fossilized representatives of all stages of a particular fungus with a limited number of specimens available for study. The second is the possibility that a given feature may have arisen in a younger form. A major problem in attempting to characterize and classify a Paleozoic fungus such as Traquairia is the absence of information regarding contemporaneous fungi with which to make comparison. Documenting the structure and organization of this Carboniferous fungus provides the starting point for subsequent studies of fossil fungi that have as their ultimate goal the understanding of evolution within this group of organisms.
PUBLICATION REFERENCE Carruthers W. 1873. On Traquairia, a radiolarian rhizopod from the Coal Measures; Report of the 42nd Meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, Brighton 1872, p. 126.

Scott R. 1911. On Traquairia; Annals of Botany, v. 25, p. 459-467.

Stubblefield SP, Taylor TN. 1983. Studies of Paleozoic fungi. I. The structure and organization of Traquairia (Ascomycota); American Journal of Botany, v. 70, p. 387-399.
K&J REMARKS Traquairia was first mentioned in a communication to the British Association for the Advancement of Science in 1872. An abstract, reporting on this, was later published without an express diagnosis or illustrations (merely cited as: Carruthers, 1873); in this accounting it is made clear that the fossil forms were thought to be animal. According to the ICZN, Art. 11.d(ii), this secondhand reference to an act whereby the name Traquairia had not been made available (i.e.: validly published), does not change the status of this previously unavailable name. Accordingly, it also cannot be accepted by the ICBN as then validly published.

A formal diagnosis was also lacking in the detailed study of the genus by Williamson (1880), and no specific epithets were designated.

Rina Scott (1911) described and named the first four species of Traquairia (T. burntislandica, T. carruthersii, T.spenceri, T. stellata) from new material collected in England and Europe as well as from slides prepared earlier by Williamson. She included a description of the genus, and is generally accepted as the authority for Traquairia (Andrews, 1970). A fifth species, T. ramex, was reported by McLean (1912). No additional species of Traquairia have been described except for the material illustrated by Davis & Leisman (1962) and referred to as Mycocarpon ornatum Stubblefield & Taylor (1983).
TYPE TYPE: Traquairia carruthersii Scott 1911, p. 462, pl. 39, fig. 14 (here designated).
ALL NAMES (Including synonyms) Traquairia;
SERIAL NUMBER 1707
PUBLIC COMMENTS
 *For source, see Publication Reference.