NAME Palaeomycites Meschinelli 1902.
AGE    AGE span:  mya
K&J CLASSIFICATION (2000) See OUR REMARKS under Palaeomycites.
FIGURE(S)
FIGURE REFERENCE
SPECIES, AUTHORITY Phycomycites Ellis 1915, p. 111.
LOCATION
ORIG DESCRIPTION* ORIGINAL DIAGNOSIS: [combined description] The mycelium consisted of branched hyphae. The hyphae saprophytic upon the organic fragments in the ore were of two dimensions, the larger measuring about 3.5 µm and the smaller measuring about 2 µm. Their diameter was round, and their membrane was thin and delicate; septa were not observed anywhere. Unlike modern forms of this morphology, however, branching took place with more or less uniform regularity. Commonly, a thick strengthening cushion is present at the point of insertion of a branch, which is eminently characteristic of the species.

There were variations from these dimensions caused by variation in the amount of deposited ferric hydroxide. When fully developed, the sporangium was roughly spherical, and measured on the average about 24 µm in diameter. There was no columella similar to that of modern mucors, though the hypha expands a little outwards at the point where it joins the sporangium. In a large number of cases the terminal sporangia were borne on relatively long stalks and are shown in various stages of development (figs. 8-10). Most of the sporangia were too thickly encrusted with iron to permit of a close observation of their contents. A broken sporangium was found to contain four large spores in the tetrad position (fig. 12). The spores were spherical, with a delicate limiting membrane. In fig. 13 are shown two expanded bodies which might conceivably have been sexual bodies, viz. antheridium and oogonium. It is impossible to offer more than a suggestion that these were sexual bodies. They were certainly borne on adjacent hyphae; but in view of the peculiar habit of this plant of forming protuberances at different points on its hyphae, no conclusions as to the sexual nature of these bodies can be drawn until far more evidence can be brought forward. [For more details, refer to original paper.]
COMMENTS* As for the type species.
PUBLICATION REFERENCE Ellis D. 1915. Fossil micro-organisms from the Jurassic and Cretaceous rocks of Great Britain; Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, v. 35, p. 110-132.
K&J REMARKS Ellis made a study of Cretaceous-Jurassic core samples of ferruginous limestones alternating with ironstone, collected in an exploration program for iron-ore bodies. He particularly wanted to see if fossil remains of iron bacteria and similar protozoans had been preserved as organic matter. In places the ore is oolitic, and locally shells, of echinoderms in particular, are abundant. The fungus here described was found in the minute irregular fragments of the latter.

Kalgutkar and Jansonius (2000) consider that Phycomycites is a junior taxonomic synonym of Palaeomycites, and transfer its type to the latter genus. See remarks from Kalgutkar and Jansonius (2000) under Palaeomyces.
TYPE TYPE: Phycomycites frodinghamii Ellis 1915, p. 111.
ALL NAMES (Including synonyms) Palaeomycites Meschinelli 1902.;
SERIAL NUMBER 1333
PUBLIC COMMENTS
 *For source, see Publication Reference.