NAME Sporocarpon ductilum
AGE Late Pennsylvanian.   AGE span: 307.2...299 mya
K&J CLASSIFICATION (2000) Ascomycetes, Eurotiales.
FIGURE(S)
Image of
Pl.29fig.13.jpg
FIGURE REFERENCE Stubblefield SP, Taylor TN, Miller CE, Cole GT. 1983. Studies of Carboniferous fungi. II. The structure and organization of Mycocarpon, Sporocarpon, Dubiocarpon, and Coleocarpon (Ascomycotina); American Journal of Botany, v. 70, p. 1482-1498.
SPECIES, AUTHORITY S. ductilum (Stubblefield et al.) Kalgutkar & Jansonius 2000
LOCATION Steubenville, Ohio, USA.
ORIG DESCRIPTION* Spherical cleistothecia up to 325 µm in diameter exclusive of outer wall. Outer wall composed of elongated pseudoparenchymatous cells approximately 20 µm wide and of varying lengths. Cells short and bluntly mammillate to long and spine-like. Outer surface of cells bearing papillate projections; inner surface smooth. Inner cleistothecial wall smooth and non-cellular. Cleistothecia empty or containing numerous, scattered, smooth-walled asci up to 45 µm in diameter.
COMMENTS* The present material is most similar to specimens described by McLean (1922) as Dubiocarpon compactum. However, McLean's figured material (l.c., figs. 5, 18) differs from almost all of the D. compactum described by Williamson (1878, 1880). Williamson's specimens are not spiny, nor is there any indication of papillate emergences on the cells of the outer wall. Because these differences delineate easily separable forms we propose a new species, D. ductilum, for specimens from Steubenville and for McLean's specimens. The specimen which Williamson thought to be intermediate between D. elegans and D. compactum (Williamson, 1880, pl. 17, fig. 31) is in all probability also an example of D. ductilum, but it is not known whether or not this specimen exhibits rough, papillate emergences on its spines.
PUBLICATION REFERENCE Stubblefield SP, Taylor TN, Miller CE, Cole GT. 1983. Studies of Carboniferous fungi. II. The structure and organization of Mycocarpon, Sporocarpon, Dubiocarpon, and Coleocarpon (Ascomycotina); American Journal of Botany, v. 70, p. 1482-1498.
K&J REMARKS See remarks from Kalgutkar and Jansonius (2000) under Spororcarpon compactum.
TYPE
ALL NAMES (Including synonyms) Dubiocarpon ductilum Stubblefield, Taylor, Miller & Cole 1983, p. 1496, upper specimen in fig. 24, fig. 25, slides 9651, 97439752 (O.S.U.P.C.), C.B. 9218 (O.S.U.P.C.).
Sporocarpon compactum Williamson, in McLean 1922, Ann. Bot. 36: 71-90, pl. 8, figs. 5-6; pl. 10, fig. 18.; Sporocarpon ductilum
SERIAL NUMBER 1609
PUBLIC COMMENTS
 *For source, see Publication Reference.