NAME Sporonites
AGE    AGE span:  mya
K&J CLASSIFICATION (2000) Not applicable. (The type of the genus is a moss or fern spore.)
FIGURE(S)
FIGURE REFERENCE
SPECIES, AUTHORITY Sporonites Potonié 1931, p. 332.
LOCATION
ORIG DESCRIPTION* ORIGINAL DIAGNOSIS: [combined description, given as a shorthand formula] Outline round to triangular, in side view circular, trilete rays equal to radius, ca. 38 µm.
COMMENTS*
PUBLICATION REFERENCE Potonié R. 1931. Zur Mikroskopie der Braunkohlen. Tertiäire Blütenstaubformen; Braunkohle, v, 30, p. 325-333.
K&J REMARKS Potonié, Ibrahim & Loose 1932 (p. 443) stated "... It is necessary, as for the Carboniferous leaf remains, to build an artificial system of nomenclature [for dispersed fossil spores]. Kalgutkar and Jansonius (2000) propose to construct the generic names by preceding the word Sporonites by a keyword; e.g., Laevigati-sporonites, etc." In the systematics parts of this paper, Ibrahim and Loose assigned many new species to Sporonites (p. 447 ff). In 1933 (Dissertation, p. 15), Ibrahim stated that the name Sporonites had been used accidentally in 1932 for the concept named Sporites by H. Potonié (1893); in 1933, correcting this error, he used Sporites. On p. 17 (l.c) Ibrahim then suggested that the name Sporonites could be maintained for identifying spores of the Eumycetes (fungi), but did not formally use it in this context. [Jansonius & Hills (1976), card no. 2677.]

However, the generic name Sporonites was validly published, with its type being a trilete fern or moss spore. As a name is permanently linked to its type, this makes it inappropriate to assign fungal spores to this genus. Any names for fungal spores here assigned, however, are validly published (if all other requirements are satisfied).
TYPE TYPE: Sporonites neddenii Potonié 1931, p. 332, pl. 1, fig. 5.
ALL NAMES (Including synonyms) Sporonites;
SERIAL NUMBER 1618
PUBLIC COMMENTS
 *For source, see Publication Reference.