NAME Palaeocirrenalia
AGE    AGE span:  mya
K&J CLASSIFICATION (2000) Fungi Imperfecti, Helicosporae.
FIGURE(S)
FIGURE REFERENCE
SPECIES, AUTHORITY Palaeocirrenalia Ramanujam & Srisailam 1980, p. 124.
LOCATION
ORIG DESCRIPTION* ORIGINAL DIAGNOSIS: Spores light brown to reddish brown, inaperturate, helicoid, 1 to 1 1/4 times loosely coiled, multicellular, 2- to 6-septate, septa transverse, prominent, as thick and dark bands, cells of unequal size, terminal cell dome-shaped and broader, basal cell usually cuneate, pale-colored, surface psilate.
COMMENTS* In their loosely coiled 2- to 6- septate nature with the terminal cell dome-shaped, these spores are remarkably similar to the conidia of the modern dematiaceous hyphomycete Cirrenalia (Ellis, 1976). The species of Cirrenalia are characteristic of brackish to marine habitats and hence are environmentally significant. They are generally found on driftwood. No information is available with regard to the nature of the conidiophores of the fossil specimens i.e., whether they are simple or branched. The genus Involutisporonites (Clarke 1965) Elsik 1968, though helical, is monoporate and hence easily distinguishable from Palaeocirrenalia.
PUBLICATION REFERENCE Ramanujam CGK, Srisailam K. 1980. Fossil fungal spores from the Neogene beds around Cannanore in Kerala state; The Botanique, v. 9 (1978), p. 119-133.
K&J REMARKS The characteristics of a more than hemispherical to globular dark distal cell, the curved longitudinal axis, and an indistinct proximal hilum, define this genus. Paragranatisporites has a less than hemispherical distal cell, less curvature, and a distinctly hilate conical proximal cell.
TYPE TYPE: Palaeocirrenalia elegansRamanujam & Srisailam 1980, p. 124, pl. 1, fig. 14.
ALL NAMES (Including synonyms) Palaeocirrenalia;
SERIAL NUMBER 1182
PUBLIC COMMENTS
 *For source, see Publication Reference.