Spathulopteris clavigera (KIDST.) J. WALTON , 1931

Cleal, Christopher J., Strullu-Derrien, Christine & Spencer, Alan R. T., 2024, Early Coal Swamp Vegetation From The Serpukhovian Lower Clackmannan Group Of Scotland, Fossil Imprint 80 (1), pp. 35-67 : 53

Spathulopteris clavigera (KIDST.) J. WALTON, 1931

Text-fig. 10a

1923 Sphenopteris clavigera KIDST. , p. 142, pl. 32, fig. 2.

1931 Spathulopteris clavigera (KIDST.) J. WALTON , p. 361, pl. 24, fig.19.

D e s c r i p t i o n. Relatively stout rachis, 6 mm wide, with smooth surface; narrow-deltoid penultimate pinnae alternate, bearing 2–4 pairs of small, clavate pinnules with up to 3 lobes in basal part of pinnae, entire in distal part; pinnule limb thick, showing little of the venation.

R e m a r k s. This fossil-species was based on a specimen from the Lower Limestone Group. Kidston (1923) was uncertain as to the frond architecture and so placed it in the generalised fossil-genus Sphenopteris . However, Walton (1931) showed that it was otherwise indistinguishable from Spathulopteris .

O c c u r r e n c e. Only reported from above the Top Hosie Limestone (Lower Limestone Formation), East Kilbride.

Figures

Text-fig. 10. a: Spathulopteris clavigera (KIDST.) J.WALTON; East Kilbride, Lanarkshire; Calderwood Limestone, Lower Limestone Formation; BGS Kidst.792. b, c: Archaeopteridium tschermakii (STUR) KIDST.; East Kilbride, Lanarkshire; Calderwood Limestone, Lower Limestone Formation; BGS Kidst.791 (b), BGS Kidst.792 (c). d, e: Eusphenopteris foliolata (STUR) VAN AMEROM; Ardross Castle, Fifeshire; sandstone below castle, Upper Limestone Formation; BGS Kidst.2838 (d), BGS Kidst.2841 (e). Scale bars = 10 mm.