NAME Scolecosporites maslinensis
AGE Early-Middle Eocene.   AGE span: 55.8...37.2 mya
K&J CLASSIFICATION (2000) Fungi Imperfecti, Phragmosporae.
FIGURE(S)
Image of
Pl.10fig.11.jpg
FIGURE REFERENCE Lange RT, Smith PH. 1971. The Maslin Bay flora, South Australia. 3. Dispersed fungal spores; Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Monatshefte, no. 11, p. 663-681.
SPECIES, AUTHORITY S. maslinensis Lange & Smith 1971, p. 676, pl. 6, fig. E.
LOCATION Maslin Bay, South Australia.
ORIG DESCRIPTION* Scolecospores of many cells, typically about 25, with septa approximately equally spaced, demarcating cells broader than long except towards the ends of the spore where length exceeds breadth as the spore tapers; attachment cell narrow and thin-walled, spore crooked, observed lengths to 300 µm.
COMMENTS* Spores 16 and 17 differ from 15 and 19 by tending to taper in a narrow lanceolate manner, while spores 13 and 14 differ by bulging more between septal constrictions and trending away from scolecospory.
PUBLICATION REFERENCE Lange RT, Smith PH. 1971. The Maslin Bay flora, South Australia. 3. Dispersed fungal spores; Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Monatshefte, no. 11, p. 663-681.
K&J REMARKS As for the genus. The holotype has 38 cells and, from the scale printed onto the plate, is over 400 µm long (exceeding the limit mentioned in the original description). The septa are nearly equally spaced, but because the spore tapers toward the distal end, the cells there are longer than wide. Many septa show evidence of septal folds; septa and spore wall thin, smooth, and lacking pigmentation. The distal-most cell appears broken or folded -- the spore may have been even longer than the type shows.
TYPE
ALL NAMES (Including synonyms) Scolecosporites maslinensis
SERIAL NUMBER 1554
PUBLIC COMMENTS
 *For source, see Publication Reference.