Mariopteris vs Sphenopteris

[Shamalama]

As I am going through my boxes of findings from the Llewellyn formation at St. Clair, PA, I came across some more interesting plates. Normally I would call this short, rounded foliage "Sphenopteris" but some research with the PA Geological Survey's book "Fossil Plants from the Anthracite Coal Fields of Eastern Pennsylvania", General Geology Report 72, 1982, John Oleksyshyn, I'm thinking these might be more accurately called Mariopteris cf. lobata.

 

 

Here is Figure 14 from the book that illustrates (plates A,B) what I think is a close match to what I have. 

 

 

The book also states that the specimens that are used for the plates come from St. Clair so it is known to occur there. 

 

Thoughts?

[Miocene_Mason]

I feel like I remember a past thread on this a while back..

sorry I can’t help but I’ll be watching what answers others come up with

[Fossildude19]

@fiddlehead  @paleoflor

[Jeffrey P]

I have what I think is a very similar specimen preserved in pyrite that is on display in my Carboniferous gallery which I also ID'd as Mariopteris lobata. I was using the same source book as you which may account for this.

[Shamalama]

12 hours ago, Jeffrey P said:

I have what I think is a very similar specimen preserved in pyrite that is on display in my Carboniferous gallery which I also ID'd as Mariopteris lobata. I was using the same source book as you which may account for this.

 

Yes, that looks very similar. Thanks Jeff!

[paleoflor]

Not familiar with this species, but Gastaldo and Boersma (1983b) transferred Mariopteris lobata White 1943 to Eusphenopteris (see also Gastaldo and Boersma 1983a).