NAME Traquairia spenceri
AGE (Scott): Carboniferous; (Stubblefield & Taylor): Middle Pennsylvanian.   AGE span: 311.7...307.2 mya
K&J CLASSIFICATION (2000) Ascomycetes, Eurotiales.
FIGURE(S)
Image of
Pl.30fig.1.jpg
FIGURE REFERENCE Scott R. 1911. On Traquairia; Annals of Botany, v. 25, p. 459-467.
SPECIES, AUTHORITY T. spenceri Scott 1911, p. 464, pl. 39, figs. 8-10; pl. 40, figs. 15-16.
LOCATION (Scott) Lower Coal Measures of Lancashire and Yorkshire, England, U.K.
ORIG DESCRIPTION* The form is spherical. The spines are much more delicate and apparently less brittle than in Traquairia carruthersii, and rapidly taper to a point. At the ends they are often curved like a shepherd's crook. At their apparent base they give a network of tubes much finer than in T. carruthersii. Each spine has very numerous fine pores, from which emanate very fine threads. The spines are less numerous than in T. carruthersii; about twenty can be counted round the circumference of the sphere seen in median section. The inner capsule appears to have two membranes. Sometimes an operculum seems to be visible (text-fig. 4). The inner capsule is filled with large spores containing smaller ones. Measurements: diameter of sphere without spines: about 0.42 mm; length of spines: 0.18-0.24 µm; width of spines at base: 2.4 µm; width of gelatinous envelope: 0.1 mm; diameter of large spores: 36-42 µm; diameter of small spores: 18 µm.

EMENDED DESCRIPTION (Stubblefield & Taylor 1983, p. 395): Cleistothecial cavity up to 420 µm in diameter. Evenly distributed spines up to 337 µm in length, and of nearly constant diameter above swollen base; distal ends unbranched, often curved; secondary processes short but distinct, continuous with well-developed hyphal network. Cavity containing scattered spheres 65.5-100 µm in diameter which contain either a single sphere 25-40 µm in diameter, or several smaller spheres 20-25 µm in diameter.
COMMENTS* (Scott): In association with Traquairia spenceri I have found an object (pl. 39, fig. 10) that might possibly be a stage in the development of Traquairia, perhaps the first product of germination of a spore. It appears to have one spine only, the whole object being barely one-third the size of the usual specimens. It measures 120 x 96 µm. The whip-like shape of the spine strongly resembles that of T. spenceri.
PUBLICATION REFERENCE Scott R. 1911. On Traquairia; Annals of Botany, v. 25, p. 459-467.

Stubblefield SP, Taylor TN. 1983. Studies of Paleozoic fungi. I. The structure and organization of Traquairia (Ascomycota); American Journal of Botany, v. 70, p. 387-399.
K&J REMARKS
TYPE
ALL NAMES (Including synonyms) Traquairia spenceri
SERIAL NUMBER 1711
PUBLIC COMMENTS
 *For source, see Publication Reference.