NAME Pluricellaesporites malayensis
AGE Eocene.   AGE span: 55.8...33.9 mya
K&J CLASSIFICATION (2000) Fungi Imperfecti, Phragmosporae.
FIGURE(S)
Image of
Pl.12fig.31.jpg
FIGURE REFERENCE Trivedi BS, Verma CL. 1970. Fungal remains from Tertiary coal bed of Malaya; Journal of Palynology, v. 5 (1969), p. 68-73.
SPECIES, AUTHORITY P. malayensis (Trivedi & Verma) Kalgutkar & Jansonius 2000
LOCATION Near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
ORIG DESCRIPTION* Fungal spore septate, oval or elongated, individual spore consists of two to five cells, length variable; stalk attached to the basal part of the spore (text-fig. 14), septa thick, dense, 3 µm thick, spore wall thin, less than 1 µm thick, surface smooth. Size variable depending upon the number of cells in the spore, 20-33 x 10-13 µm.
COMMENTS* Spores described above resemble the conidia of the living genus Alternaria where conidia divide transversely into two or more by transverse septa, forming two- or more celled conidial spores. Fossil spore resembles the living spore of Alternaria in all respect except that they are smaller in size. The spores described here are found attached to the hyphae which occur on the surface of a tissue. Alternaria malayensis differs from Brachysporium sp. in its possessing flat septa, smaller size and elongated shape.
PUBLICATION REFERENCE Trivedi BS, Verma CL. 1970. Fungal remains from Tertiary coal bed of Malaya; Journal of Palynology, v. 5 (1969), p. 68-73.
K&J REMARKS Cookson & Eisenack (1979) described Piriurella and the type species P. elongata from the Cretaceous of the Eucla basin, Australia as an algal form similar to modern Lambertina. Smith & Chaloner (1979) demonstrated the difference in structure between Piriurella and Korshikoviella schaefernai (= Lambertia schaefernai) and concluded that Piriurella is a conidium of Alternaria. Elsik (1992) also pointed out its similarity to Alternaria, and commented that it has priority in the event a form genus is created assuming it is considered a fossil and not a modern contaminant (Kalgutkar & Sigler, 1995).

As Piriurella is considered to include fossil fungal spores with an affinity to Alternaria, the species A. malayensis could be placed under the fossil genus Piriurella. However, Kalgutkar & Sigler (1995) indicated that the description and illustrations given by Trivedi & Verma (p. 71, pl. 1, fig. 13; text-figs. 14-16) do not suggest similarity, let alone a close relationship, of the species to the conidia of Alternaria. Rather, they seem to indicate that it likely should be assigned to Pluricellaesporites.
TYPE
ALL NAMES (Including synonyms) Alternaria malayensis Trivedi & Verma 1970, p. 71, pl. 1, fig. 13.; Pluricellaesporites malayensis
SERIAL NUMBER 1394
PUBLIC COMMENTS
 *For source, see Publication Reference.