Mazon Creek Plant

[glacialerratic]

This is an interesting little plant that I am looking to ID. Any input appreciated!

Thanks!

[BNN]

Looks like Aphlebia sp.

Also known as Rhacophyllum sp.

[Terry Dactyll]

Tim.... Very nice!... Its always great to find the unusual ones... well done... I 'thought' I'd found it too but after 10 minutes looking through my drawers no joy so I must just of thought I had

[glacialerratic]

BNN,

thanks for the ID. RCFossils has multiple examples in the gallery, and gives the specie name as 'cornutum.'

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/gallery/image/12027-rhacophyllum-cornutum-rcmc0237ajpg/

The modern forms are aquatic mosses, with some species being used in aquariums (very pretty!).

Steve, thanks for the compliment! The first google entry I saw was on coal measures in England. I'd imagine they are well preserved over there. Your nodules are much 'crisper!'

[fiddlehead]

If this is assigned to any group given the preservation I would place as Shenopteris spinosa. The distant pinnules rising at a steep angle and flat rachis, are characteristic to this taxon.

Jack

[BNN]

If this is assigned to any group given the preservation I would place as Shenopteris spinosa. The distant pinnules rising at a steep angle and flat rachis, are characteristic to this taxon.

Jack

Thanks Jack. This one isn't in your book. It was because of the level of preservation that I went with Rhacophyllum sp. I just assumed it was a variant. By the way there is a typo, I think you meant Sphenopteris spinosa.

[glacialerratic]

Jack,

I did a quick search with your ID, Sphenopteris spinosa, and came up with some images.

The distant pinnules rising at a steep angle and flat rachis, are characteristic to this taxon.

After you pointed this out, the difference between my fossils above and the ones RCFossils' gallery of Rhacophyllum are obvious. Thank you for the ID!!!

It looks like my example is a bit decomposed at the leaf, compared to what I found online:

http://geoscenic.bgs.ac.uk/asset-bank/action/browseItems?categoryId=1030&categoryTypeId=1&allCats=0&sortAttributeId=1008&sortDescending=true&page=13&pageSize=25

http://geoscenic.bgs.ac.uk/asset-bank/action/viewAsset?id=56825&index=326&total=3618&categoryId=1030&categoryTypeId=1&collection=Dr.%20R.%20Kidston%20Carboniferous%20fossil%20plants&sortAttributeId=1008&sortDescending=true

http://geoscenic.bgs.ac.uk/asset-bank/action/viewAsset?id=56830&index=328&total=3618&categoryId=1030&categoryTypeId=1&collection=Dr.%20R.%20Kidston%20Carboniferous%20fossil%20plants&sortAttributeId=1008&sortDescending=true

Edited February 25, 2013 by glacialerratic

[fiddlehead]

To see the best Mazon Creek examples of this taxon and some more average ones housed in The Field Museum check out page 43 in Mazon Creek Fossil Flora. Sorry I lost the p in Sphenopteris in the first post. Most M. C. examples of this form are poorly preserved and yours is more the norm.

[piranha]

To see the best Mazon Creek examples of this taxon and some more average ones housed in The Field Museum check out page 43 in Mazon Creek Fossil Flora. Sorry I lost the p in Sphenopteris in the first post. Most M. C. examples of this form are poorly preserved and yours is more the norm.

For those without access to the book here is page 43 from The Mazon Creek Flora:

[glacialerratic]

Thanks for putting up that page scan piranha, that's really nice! I'm going to have to get a copy of that.

Jack, I appreciate your comments and giving me the correct ID. You have published a book?

[fiddlehead]

Two. I am the author of the above mentioned book and The Mazon Creek Fossil Fauna. Also I provided the content for the Smithsonian Museum's web pages http://paleobiology.si.edu/mazoncreek/index.html on the Mazon Creek flora which also is a a good reference for identifying the flora. It is actually more up to date then the book, since some names have changed and I can easily keep the web site current.

Jack

[BNN]

Well I missed seeing this in the book. Thanks piranha.

To see the best Mazon Creek examples of this taxon and some more average ones housed in The Field Museum check out page 43 in Mazon Creek Fossil Flora. Sorry I lost the p in Sphenopteris in the first post. Most M. C. examples of this form are poorly preserved and yours is more the norm.

Sorry Jack. I missed it.

Both Sphenopteris spinosa and Rhacophyllum cornatum are listed as rare. Rhacophyllum sp. is listed as uncommon. Back in the 70's we threw a lot of things away as "plant fragments" because of preservation issues. I wonder if these are actually rare or just don't show up in collections due to collector bias.

[glacialerratic]

Jack,

thanks for the link as well as your expertise.

Back in the 70's we threw a lot of things away