Plant spore?

[Strepsodus]

Hi.  I found this in West Yorkshire, UK in the Pennine Middle Coal Measures formation (upper Carboniferous.)  Is it a plant spore?  If so is it possible to identify what plant it came from?  It measures 1.5mm.

 

 

Thanks,

 

 

 

 

Daniel

[Fossildude19]

Seems pretty big for a spore, I think, ... but many fern spores do bear that Y-shaped marking ... 

That is an awesome find, if it is.  

Thanks for sharing it here. 

 

Maybe some of the plant guys will weigh in on this.

Regards,

[Doctor Mud]

Yes - it resembles a trilete fern spore, but a very large one if it is! Trilete fern spores are from tree ferns. Bracken also has a trilete spore. But these are much smaller. 

 

It could also be what is known as a megaspore. Isoetes - an aquatic plant has trilete megaspores, but there could be other plants that have them. 

[Strepsodus]

Hi.  Thanks for the replies.  I've found macrospores around 2mm long so perhaps it could be one of those?

 

 

Thanks,

 

 

 

Daniel

[Doctor Mud]

Here's a paper on Carboniferous megaspores. The spore in Figure 20 is 1500 microns (the right size) and looks very similar. Yours is a much nicer example. 

 

Setosisporites cydotuberosus 

 

http://dergipark.gov.tr/download/article-file/44143

[westcoast]

Wonderful find!

[Strepsodus]

Hi.  Thanks for the replies.

 

 

Daniel