NAME Dictyosporites loculatus
AGE Eocene.   AGE span: 55.8...33.9 mya
K&J CLASSIFICATION (2000) Fungi Imperfecti, Dictyosporae.
FIGURE(S)
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Pl.15fig.22.jpg
FIGURE REFERENCE Felix J. 1894. Studien über fossile Pilze; Zeitschrift der Deutschen Geologischen Gesellschaft, v. 46, p. 269-280.
SPECIES, AUTHORITY D. loculatus Felix 1894, p. 277, pl. 19, fig. 2.
LOCATION Perekeschkul, near Baku, USSR.
ORIG DESCRIPTION* [combined description] The so-called wall-shaped conidia become multicellular by repeated transverse and longitudinal divisions. In addition to large conidia, whose growth can probably be regarded as complete, uni- and bicellular conidia representing the initial developmental stages also occur. They are all of brownish coloration. Their outlines are rather variable, depending on the position of the conidium to the plane of section. Viewed from the top or bottom, they often appear spherical with flatly indented outlines; longitudinal sections are of rather irregular shape; elliptical, pear-shaped or resembling short, corpulent snails (e.g. Turbo). The maximum length is 0.0204 mm [20.4 µm], the maximum diameter 0.0153 mm [15.3 µm]; the respective dimensions of an only bicellular conidium are 0.0102 and 0.0085 mm [10.2 and 8.5 µm]. [Unedited translation from German; GSC Calgary Library, Translation No. 4047621.]
COMMENTS* As compared with the conidia of recent forms, the fossils show the closest resemblance to those of the genera Septosporium Zopf., Macrosporium Bon., Stemphylium and Stigmella. Numerous species of the mentioned genera live on wood, on that of deciduous trees in particular, such as Macrosporium punctiforme on dead stems of Rubus occidentalis; Septosporium velutinum on maple wood; S. fuliginosum on that of Cornus; Stemphylium atram on decaying birch wood; S. glaucum on oak wood and S. sphaerospermum on that of alder. The remains classified as Dictyosporites are found in wood that I described as Rhamnacinium affine, which probably originates from a Rhamnaceae related to Prinos and Pomaderris and was found in the Eocene near Perekeschkul. Another polished section of the same specimen contained the sporidia described as Chaetosphaerites bilychnis. [Unedited translation from German; GSC Calgary Library, Translation No. 4047621.]
PUBLICATION REFERENCE Felix J. 1894. Studien über fossile Pilze; Zeitschrift der Deutschen Geologischen Gesellschaft, v. 46, p. 269-280.
K&J REMARKS Felix illustrated several spores, to show the variation in their structure. Jansonius & Hills 1976 (card 787) selected one of these as lectotype.
TYPE
ALL NAMES (Including synonyms) Dictyosporites loculatus
SERIAL NUMBER 299
PUBLIC COMMENTS Habitat: On wood, ‘Rhamnacinium affine’ possibly from Rhamnaceae.
 *For source, see Publication Reference.