NAME Trichosporites conwentzii
AGE Late Cretaceous.   AGE span: 99.6...65.5 mya
K&J CLASSIFICATION (2000) Fungi Imperfecti, Amerosporae.
FIGURE(S)
Image of
Pl.1fig.46.jpg
FIGURE REFERENCE Felix J. 1894. Studien über fossile Pilze; Zeitschrift der Deutschen Geologischen Gesellschaft, v. 46, p. 269-280.
SPECIES, AUTHORITY T. conwentzii Felix 1894, p. 273.
LOCATION Holma sandstone, near Ryedal, Sweden.
ORIG DESCRIPTION* When seen in lateral view, the conidia are of ovoid or oval shape, when seen from the upper or lower end they have a roundish outline. They are unicellular, or undivided, and of dark red-brown color. To what extent the latter is due to the state of preservation cannot be decided, of course; it can be assumed, however, that they were vividly colored. They were always observed only singly, never connected in a chain-like manner. Based on this description, they belong into the section Amerosporae Sacc., and within it probably into the second subsection Macronemeae Sacc., in which the hyphae are distinctly developed and differ from the conidia. [Unedited translation from German, GSC Calgary Library, Translation No. 4047621.]

Size (from the illustration) ca 10-12 µm.
COMMENTS* In comparison to the conidia of recent fungi, they greatly resemble those of some Trichosporium species (e.g. T. fuscum Link). Several species of this genus do indeed live on decaying wood, such as T. fuscescens and T. splenicum, while T. fuscum is found on rotting fir branches. I describe the fossil conidia therefore as Trichosporites, in that I combine under this genus name all those fossilized fungus remains which resemble the modern genus Trichosporium to such a degree that an affiliation to the latter is not unlikely. I dedicate this species to the discoverer. The conidia were found in a coniferous wood described by Conwentz as Cedroxylon ryedalense which originated from the so-called Holma sandstone of Upper Cretaceous age near Ryedal. The same polished sections contain the hyphae of a saprophyte, but not connected with these spores. They are well developed and thick-walled, septated and diversely ramified; they run vertically as well as radially within the medullary rays, and tangentially particularly between the annual rings. They sometimes form tissue-like layers that totally obscure the structure peculiar to this wood, as far as that structure had not already disappeared before. According to data by Major (Medical Corps) Prof. J. Schröter in Breslau, this saprophyte is to be described as Dematice. [Unedited translation from German; GSC Calgary Library, Translation No. 4047621.]
PUBLICATION REFERENCE Felix J. 1894. Studien über fossile Pilze; Zeitschrift der Deutschen Geologischen Gesellschaft, v. 46, p. 269-280.
K&J REMARKS
TYPE Holotype: in Conwentz, 1892, pl. 7, fig. 9 (uppermost spore designated as lectotype by Jansonius & Hills 1976, card # 2962).
ALL NAMES (Including synonyms) Trichosporites conwentzii
SERIAL NUMBER 1728
PUBLIC COMMENTS
 *For source, see Publication Reference.