NAME Reymanella globosa
AGE Middle Jurassic.   AGE span: 175.6...145.5 mya
K&J CLASSIFICATION (2000) Fungi incertae sedis.
FIGURE(S)
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Pl.33fig.14.jpg
FIGURE REFERENCE Marcinkiewicz T. 1979. Fungi-like forms on Jurassic megaspores; Acta Palaeobotanica, v. 20, p. 123-128.
SPECIES, AUTHORITY R. globosa Marcinkiewicz 1979, p. 125, pl. 7 fig. 1.
LOCATION Grojec near Cracow, Poland.
ORIG DESCRIPTION* Shape of spherules spherical or oval, from a few to 80 µm (100 µm) in diameter; surface completely smooth and lustrous, sometimes lustreless and rough, color yellow-red or ruby, sometimes almost black. Spherules occur individually or are closely clustered in groups; they are constricted at the base to form a neck or have two or three short neck-like appendages by which they are attached to the megaspore.
COMMENTS* It should be noted that fossil megaspores with several, red, translucent globules had already been recovered from Wealden and Senonian rocks in Netherlands. Dijkstra (1949, 1961) has described them as Triletes carbunculus Dijkstra (reclassified by Potonié 1956 as Verrutriletes) and Triletes imitatus Dijkstra. Others that should be mentioned are, megaspores from the Bajocian in Poland described by Marcinkiewicz (1962) as Verrutriletes pseudosquamosus which are characterized by the occurrence on their smooth surface of "somewhat transparent discs" and as Verrutriletes sp., with individual red globules. After analysing the shape and manner distribution of these supposed elements of sculpture it may be stated that both "globules" and "discs" are not elements of sculpture but probably the effect of the action of saprophytic fungi. In order to confirm this supposition it is essential that we should have more accurate knowledge to be gained by high magnification under the scanning electron microscope.
PUBLICATION REFERENCE Marcinkiewicz T. 1979. Fungi-like forms on Jurassic megaspores; Acta Palaeobotanica, v. 20, p. 123-128.
K&J REMARKS Jansonius & Hills (1982, card no. 4031), who do not think these forms are fungal, remarked: "Kalgutkar and Jansonius (2000) are skeptical against the notion that these spherules would be of fungal affinity; it has not even been demonstrated (by section, or from a broken individual) that they are hollow. Kalgutkar and Jansonius (2000) consider these bodies to be of tapetal origin.

"It is curious that Reinsch's early notion that appendages of Carboniferous megaspores were parasitic organisms, now has surfaced again. (see: P.F. Reinsch, 1884, Micropalaeophytologia formationis Carboniferae; v. 1, 11. Erlagen & London. See also discussion in H.H. Bartlett, 1929, The genus Triletes Reinsch. Pap. Michigan Acad. Sci., Arts, Letters, v. 9, p. 29-38)."
TYPE
ALL NAMES (Including synonyms) Reymanella globosa
SERIAL NUMBER 1536
PUBLIC COMMENTS
 *For source, see Publication Reference.