On a Megaspore-bearing Lycopod Strobilus

During the last 30 years many species of Carboniferous megaspores have been described, but until now not much is known with regard to the nature of the fructifications by which they were produced. This may partly be due to the fact that nearly all the megaspores were obtained by macerating lumps of coal, whereas the fructifications are generally derived from the roof of a coal seam. Moreover it is noteworthy that the fructifications rarely contain megaspores; they had apparently shed their spores before they themselves became detached. Some investigators of the past century sometimes found megaspores in the strobili they were studying, but not realizing the importance of their findings, they unfortunately figured them on a very small scale. Their descriptions too are insufficient, so that it is now very difficult or impossible to establish the identity of these spores. However, during recent years a number of investigators have paid attention to the fructifications as well as to the spores that are included in them. The most important communications on this subject are: Arnold (1930), Lepidostrobus (?), (1933, ’35), Lepidostrobus or Sigillariostrobus, (1938), Lepidostrobus (Lepidocarpon i?), (1949), Lepidostrobus; Bochenski (1936) Lepidostrobus (Lepidocarpon !?), (1939), Sigillariostrobus; Ghaloner (1952), Lepidocarpon, (1953a) Lepidostrobus (?), (1953b), Lepidostrobus, (1953c), Sigillariostrobus, (1954), Selaginellites, Lepidostrobus (Lepidocarpon), (1956), Sporangiostrobus; Felix (1954), Lepidostrobus, Lepidocarpon; Hoskins and Cross (1940, ’52), Lepidostrobus; Leqlerq, (1938), Sigillariostrobus (Lepidostrobus r?); Mathew (1940), Lepidostrobus', Nemejg (1931), Sigillariostrobus (?); Schopf (1938), Lepidocarpon; Wicker (1934), Porostrobus. A very detailed survey of the American literature can be found in Felix (1954).