Spencerites sp. cf. S. majusculus Scott 1898
- Synonym: Spencerites sp. Scott 1898
- Similar to: Spencerites majusculus Scott 1898
Leisman, Gilbert Arthur and Stidd, Benton Maurice, 1967. Further Occurrences of Spencerites from the Middle Pennsylvanian of Kansas and Illinois. American Journal of Botany, Vol. 54, No. 3, pp. 316-323. doi: 10.2307/2440760 [SNOMNH-Pbot_00000254] (link to our page on publication)
Taxonomic Classification
Kingdom: Chlorobiota (Plantae)
Subkingdom: Streptobionta
Infrakingdom: Embryobiotes
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphyllum: Lycophytes
Infradivision:
Cohort:
Superclass:
Class: Lycopodiosida
Order: Protolepidodendrales
Family:
Genus: Spencerites
Species: Spencerites cf. S. majusculus
Taxonomic Diagnosis of Spencerites sp. cf. S. majusculus Scott 1898 from Leisman and Stidd 1967, p. 319, 322:
“The most complete specimen (coal ball 4011) consists of a cone axis slightly in excess of 8 cm long surrounded by many sporangia throughout the entire length of the axis. Although none of the sporangia are actually attached, their proximity to the axis and the similarity of both sporangia and axis to the type specimen (Scott, 1898) in histological detail leave little doubt that the sporangia and axis belong together. Unfortunately no trace of the sporophylls is evident. The axis (Fig. 10), approximately 5 mm in diameter, consists of a core of primary xylem measuring 1 mm in diameter and a cylinder of apparent outer cortex. Between the two tissues is a space which was presumably occupied by an inner cortex and in which sporophyll traces are still visible. The primary xylem is exarch with the protoxylem points (approximately 12 in number) forming a fairly distinct corona. In longitudinal view the protoxylem elements have annular to spiral thickenings while the metaxylem elements have scalariform thickenings; no fimbrils are evident in either tracheid type. No secondary xylem is present. The presumed outer cortex is a uniform cylinder of thick-walled prosenchymatous cells, identical in essential respects to that of the type specimen (Scott, 1898). That this tissue represents the outer cortex cannot be proved, for the outer edge has, for the most part, a ragged appearance. In a few slides, however, a portion of the outer edge is fairly smooth with at least the suggestion of an epidermal boundary. In Scott’s type specimen a definite epidermis was present in this region. Although none of the sporophylls is preserved and the sporangia have all been displaced, it is possible to infer their arrangement by the pattern of sporophyll traces. The sporophylls were apparently borne in alternating verticils of six each, such arrangement being consistent with the type specimen. The number of sporophylls per whorl, however, is less than half (14-15 in the type). Sporangia are essentially spherical in shape, averaging 2-3 mm in diameter, and each sporangium is attached to the sporophyll by a very small attachment region. (The actual point of attachment is impossible to ascertain in the present specimen since the sporophylls are not preserved.) This was made evident in a series of peels which passed through the attachment zone in an isolated sporangium (Fig. 11), and by maceration of a relatively intact sporangium. Although the attachment region itself is not present in the latter specimen, the converging pattern of the sporangium wall cells clearly indicates a narrow connective at the base in Fig. 12, 13. Again, this feature is in keeping with the type specimen but directly at variance with S. moorei. The sporangium wall is monoseriate with the cells being conspicuously elongated in the plane of the wall (Fig. 12, 13), a feature consistent in all known species of Spencerites. Individual cells are slightly thickened on their inner and anticlinal walls only (Fig. 11). Since no obvious dehiscence mechanism is present, this suggests that the outer cell walls broke down at the time of spore dispersal, serving to rupture the sporangium wall in some way. Individual spores (Fig. 14, 15) are bilateral and shaped like quadrants of a sphere with conspicuous thin wings extending out along the plane of the two contact faces. Many of the spores are still in their tetragonal tetrads (Fig. 16), an arrangement resulting in a monolete mark prominently raised along the mid-proximal surface. When viewed in cross-sectional aspect, as on peel sections, this raised mark appears as a wing-like extension thus giving the spore a three-winged appearance. Quantitative data on the spores were obtained from 25 randomly selected macerated spores. In maximum length including the wings, the spores average about 218µ (range 194-235µ) while the spore body itself averages 150µ (range 133-159 µ) in maximum length. In width, the average maximum including wings is 145µ (range 133-158µ) and excluding wings is 95 µ (range 92- 102,u). Since the maximum spore length inclusive of the wings in the type specimen was only 150µ (Chaloner in a re-examination of the type specimen [Potonie, 1962] reported only 130µ), the present spores are about half again as large. The spore wall is approximately 3µ in thickness, such value being constant on both contact faces and the distal wall as well as the wings. There are no conspicuous spore markings, although both wing and body surfaces appear to be minutely granulose. In almost all of the spores a rather amorphous mass is present within the spore body (Fig. 15, 16). Frequently a small dark spherical object was visible within the mass itself. The general form and size of the mass suggest that it represents a collapsed protoplast with nucleus. Although the protoplast and intine are almost never preserved in dispersed spores, their preservation in petrified sporangia is not rare. Baxter (1950) has even recorded the occurrence of chromosome-like entities within the nucleus of Peltastrobus spores. Although Potonie (1962) has suggested a slight likeness to the dispersed spore genus Pectosporites Imgrund, there is, to our knowledge, no report in the literature of similar isolated spores.”
Holotype/Syntypes of Spencerites majusculus Scott 1898:
- Scott Collection, United Kingdom (private collection of Scott at time Scott published in 1898, unverified if collection still exists though may now be part of a repository -“Scott”): Slide No. 7
- Williamson Collections, Manchester Museum, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom – MMUM-williamson: Slides C.N. 624C, C.N. 624G
- Mr. J. Spencer Collection, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada (private collection of Mr. J. Spencer at time Scott published in 1898, unverified if collection still exists though may now be part of a repository – “Spencer”): Slides no number referenced by Scott, 1898 pl. 12 fig. 2, pl. 13 fig. 3
Specimens
Specimens that Leisman identified, implied were or said contained Spencerites sp. cf. S. majusculus Scott 1898 that we are aware of are:
Many of theses specimens are now in the L. R. Wilson Paleobotany and Micropaleontology Collection, Sam Noble Museum of Natural History, Norman, Oklahoma, United States. However, some are in other repositories/collections.
We use the following abbreviations in describing the repository (usually either a museum or university collection) that the specimens/material are owned and stored:
OMNH = Leisman Collection in the L. R. Wilson Paleobotany and Micropaleontology Collection, Sam Noble Museum of Natural History, Norman, Oklahoma, United States
MMUM-williamson = Williamson Collections, Manchester Museum, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom (-williamson is not registered but used for tracking purposes)
“Scott” = Scott Collection, United Kingdom (private collection of Scott at time Scott published in 1898, unverified if collection still exists though may now be part of a repository, abbreviation created for tracking purposes only)
“Spencer” = Mr. J. Spencer Collection, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada (private collection of Mr. J. Spencer at time Scott published in 1898, unverified if collection still exists though may now be part of a repository, abbreviation created for tracking purposes only)
Note: Abbreviations are the same as those listed in The Global Registry of Biodiversity Repositories (GRBio) unless no registered abbreviation or collection code was listed which are noted.
Before any sorting, we list the specimens numerically by Leisman number, then by type of specimen in this order: coal balls, coal ball peels, microscope slides, cones, sporangium and spores. The columns are sort-able by clicking on the heading. The first click to a heading sorts them alphabetically (A to Z)/numerically (1-25). The second click to heading sorts them reverse alphabetically (Z to A)/numerically (25-1). The third click to heading brings back to original sort order.
We are aware that Leisman identified Spencerites sp. cf. S. majusculus Scott 1898 in the specimens/materials listed in the table.
If you are aware of any other specimens that Leisman or any of his collaborators said were Spencerites sp. cf. S. majusculus Scott 1898 please share them in the Collection Forum or contact us to let us know.
| Leisman Number | Repository | OPC Locality Number | Associated Coal Ball | Specimen Category | Type Status | SNOMNH-Pbot Publication Number | Confirmed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4011 | OMNH | OPC 00008005 | 4011 | Coal Ball - Entire | 00000254 | Partial | Contains Spencerites sp. cf. S. majusculus Scott 1898 and other taxa; at least partially processed into additional specimens | |
| 4011A 1A | OMNH | OPC 00008005 | 4011 | Coal Ball - Peel | 00000254 | Partial | Contains Spencerites sp. cf. S. majusculus Scott 1898 and other taxa | |
| 4011A 1A | OMNH | OPC 00008005 | 4011 | Microscope Slide | 00000254 | Yes | Contains Spencerites sp. cf. S. majusculus Scott 1898 and other taxa | |
| 4011A 1A | OMNH | OPC 00008005 | 4011 | Sporangium | 00000254 | Yes | Cross section through axis of Spencerites sp. cf. S. majusculus Scott 1898 with detached sporangia on a microscope slide | |
| 4011 B4 | OMNH | OPC 00008005 | 4011 | Coal Ball - Peel | 00000254 | Partial | Contains Spencerites sp. cf. S. majusculus Scott 1898 and other taxa | |
| 4011 B4 | OMNH | OPC 00008005 | 4011 | Microscope Slide | 00000254 | Yes | Contains Spencerites sp. cf. S. majusculus Scott 1898 and other taxa | |
| 4011 B4 | OMNH | OPC 00008005 | 4011 | Sporangium | 00000254 | Yes | Section through detached sporangium of Spencerites sp. cf. S. majusculus Scott 1898 on a microscope slide | |
| Scott's 1898 Slide No. 7 | "Scott" | None | Unknown | Microscope Slide | Syntype | 00000254 | No | Contains Spencerites majusculus Scott 1898 |
| Spencer's Slide referenced by Scott, 1898 pl. 12 fig. 2 | "Spencer" | None | Unknown | Microscope Slide | Syntype | 00000254 | No | Contains Spencerites majusculus Scott 1898 |
| Spencer's Slide referenced by Scott, 1898 pl. 13 fig. 3 | "Spencer" | None | Unknown | Microscope Slide | Syntype | 00000254 | No | Contains Spencerites majusculus Scott 1898 |
| Williamson's Slide referenced by Scott, 1898 as C.N. 624C | MMUM-williamson | None | Unknown | Microscope Slide | Syntype | 00000254 | No | Contains Spencerites majusculus Scott 1898 |
| Williamson's Slide referenced by Scott, 1898 as C.N. 624G | MMUM-williamson | None | Unknown | Microscope Slide | Syntype | 00000254 | No | Contains Spencerites majusculus Scott 1898 |
Publications
Publications in which Leisman identified or described Spencerites sp. cf. S. majusculus Scott 1898 that we are aware of are:
- Leisman, Gilbert Arthur and Stidd, Benton Maurice, 1967. Further Occurrences of Spencerites from the Middle Pennsylvanian of Kansas and Illinois. American Journal of Botany, Vol. 54, No. 3, pp. 316-323. doi: 10.2307/2440760 [SNOMNH-Pbot_00000254] (link to our page on publication)
If you are aware of any others publications that Leisman or any of his collaborators said contained Spencerites sp. cf. S. majusculus Scott 1898 please share them in the Collection Forum or contact us to let us know.
Localities
Localities that Leisman studied that contain sp. cf. S. majusculus Scott 1898 that we are aware of are:
OPC 00008005: Western Coal and Mining Company Mine #10 spoil pile, approximately one mile northeast of Cherokee, Crawford County, Kansas, United States
- Stratigraphy: Cherokee Group: Cabaniss Formation: Weir-Pittsburg Coal
- Age: Paleozoic: Pennsylvanian: Desmoinesian
- Coal Balls: 4011
- Associated Publications: SNOMNH-Pbot_00000254
If you are aware of any other localities that Leisman or any of his collaborators said contained Spencerites sp. cf. S. majusculus Scott 1898 please share them in the Collection Forum or contact us to let us know.
