Lepidodendron veltheimii STERNB., 1825

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 : 39-40

Lepidodendron veltheimii STERNB., 1825

Text-fig. 3a, b

1825 Lepidodendron veltheimii STERNB. , p. 43, pl. 52, fig. 3. 1885 Lepidodendron veltheimianum STERNB. ; Kidston, p. 243,

pl. 3.

Limestone Coal Formation; BGS Kidst.2452. d: Specimen with shallower intercushion areas; Stripside Pit, Herbertshire Colliery, near Denny, Stirlingshire; Steam Coal, Limestone Coal Formation; BGS Kidst.4287. All scale bars = 10 mm.

1964 Lepidodendron veltheimii STERNB. ; Crookall, pl. 64, fig. 5, pl. 70, fig. 8.

1970 Lepidodendron veltheimii STERNB. ; Thomas, p. 153, pl. 33, figs 4–6.

1973 Lepidodendron veltheimii STERNB. ; Chaloner and Gay, pl. 79, fig. 5.

1974 Lepidodendron veltheimii STERNB. ; Thomas, p. 526, pl. 78, figs 3, 5, pls 79, 80, pl. 81, figs 1, 3.

D e s c r i p t i o n. Helically-arranged, protuberant leaf cushions usually 5–30 mm long, 2–10 mm wide (rarely up to 40 mm long, 20 mm wide). Cushions subrhomboidal, with acute, often sinuous upper and lower angles, and rounded lateral angles. Leaf scar rounded or rhomboidal occurs in upper part of cushion; scars slightly elongate laterally, occupying over half the cushion width, and with prominent vascular cicatrix in middle. Prominent ligule pit occurs adjacent to leaf scar, and the cushion surface above the leaf scar shows distinct striae. Prominent keel extends down from the scar to base of cushion, often with prominent lateral wrinkles. Large, round ulodendroid branch scars sometimes occur in longitudinal rows along stem.

R e m a r k s. This is the most abundant lepidodendrid species in these floras and is clearly the same as the L. veltheimii specimens found in the Maine-et-Loire floras. Kidston (1885) gave an extensive comparative analysis of other similar species found in Mississippian age floras, as well as providing a list of localities in the Limestone Coal Formation that have yielded L. veltheimii . It can also be compared with the abundant Westphalian-age species Lepidodendron aculeatum STERNB. except that the leaf scars are much larger and are higher on the cushion, and there are striae on the leaf cushion surface above the scar. Cuticles of this species prepared from specimens from the Upper Limestone Formation ( Thomas 1970, 1974, Chaloner and Gay 1973) differed from L. aculeatum in having elongate epidermal cells on the cushion below the leaf scar.

The unillustrated record of Sigillaria taylorii (CARRUTH.) KIDST. from the Upper Limestone Formation at New Braidbar Quarry in Kidston (1901) probably referred to a stem of L. veltheimii with ulodendroid branch scars.

There has been disagreement as to the orthography of this species epithet as Sternberg (1825) referred to both Veltheimii and Veltheimianum. However, his first reference to the fossil-species (on his p. 43) was as L. Veltheimii where it is accompanied by a very brief diagnosis, and so we have used this spelling here.

O c c u r r e n c e s. Widespread in Limestone Coal Formation above the Johnstone Shell Bed notably at Todholes, and in the Upper Limestone Formation just below the Orchard Limestone notably at New Braidbar Quarry and Lochrim Burn, Arran.

Figures

Text-fig. 3. a–b: Lepidodendron veltheimii STERNB. a: Specimen showing larger leaf cushions; New Braidbar Quarry, Giffnock, East Renfrewshire; belowOrchardLimestone, Upper LimestoneFormation;BGS Kidst.248. b: Specimenshowingsmaller cushions;No 1 Pit, Polmaise Colliery, Fallin, Stirlingshire; Knott Coal, Limestone Coal Formation; BGS Kidst.5115. c–d: Lepidodendron jaschei J.ROEM. c: Specimen showing prominent intercushion areas; Woodyett Pit, Denny, Stirlingshire; above Blackband Ironstone,