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Sepispinula florida
Synonymy: Sepispinula cf. ‘ancorum’ (unpublished well reports)
Holotype: Plate VII, 1–3
Diagnosis: A species of Sepispinula with a smooth to scabrate endophragm and a periphragm bearing numerous non-tabular, short, proximally tapering processes, flaring sharply into secate to arboriform distal terminations. Tabulation gonyaulacacean; archeopyle apical, Type (tA), operculum free.
Etymology: Fromfloridus (Latin): ‘flowery, blossoming’ in reference to the distinctive distal process terminations.
Material: Palynological strew samples; 2887 m, Jansz-1; 2810 m, 2844 m, 2882 m, Jansz-3; 3179 m, Laminaria-2.
Age: Callovian–Kimmeridgian (V. tabulata–D. swanense zones; Fig. 5)
Lithostratigraphic occurrence: The Laminaria, Elang, Frigate, Montara and lower Vulcan fms of the Bonaparte Basin. The Calypso Fm, Dingo Claystone, Jansz Sandstone and Eliassen Fm of the Northern Carnarvon Basin.
Description: An intermediate, spherical to subspherical, proximochorate, dinoflagellate cyst with a smooth to scabrate endophragm and a closely appressed periphragm. The periphragm bears numerous non-tabular processes that may be hollow, solid or variably septate (Fig. 9J–L). Processes, cylindrical or with tapering shafts, flare distally into secate to arboriform terminations, which may recurve towards the central body or interconnect with adjacent processes. Tabulation is typically indicated by the principal and accessory archeopyle sutures, more rarely by incomplete pandasutural bands up to 4 μmwide created by penitabular aligned processes. Tabulation gonyaulacacean of formula:? pr, 4′, 6″,?6c, 6″’, 1p, 1″”,?5–6 s. Archeopyle apical, Type (tA), operculum free, deep accessory archeopyle sutures common.
Dimensions: (29 specimens measured)
Length without operculum: 41 (50) 63
Width: 39 (47) 61
Max process length: 5 (6.5) 11
Comparison and remarks: Sepispinula florida differs from other species of Sepispinula in having distinctively secate to arboriformdistal process tips: Sepispinula ancorifera (Cookson and Eisenack, 1960a) Islam, 1993 and Sepispinula tenue (Harris, 1974) Masure in Fauconnier and Masure, 2004 exhibit ancoriform processes, and Sepispinula pertusa (Davey, 1969)Masure in Fauconnier andMasure, 2004 has conical processes with recurved distal spines. Sepispinula florida is distinguished from Cleistosphaeridium oxfordianum in being bi-layered and lacking processes with dolabrate terminations. The process morphology of Sepispinula florida is highly variable with numerous styles of terminations expressed on a single specimen while the length of all processes remains consistent.
Holotype: Plate VII, 1–3
Diagnosis: A species of Sepispinula with a smooth to scabrate endophragm and a periphragm bearing numerous non-tabular, short, proximally tapering processes, flaring sharply into secate to arboriform distal terminations. Tabulation gonyaulacacean; archeopyle apical, Type (tA), operculum free.
Etymology: Fromfloridus (Latin): ‘flowery, blossoming’ in reference to the distinctive distal process terminations.
Material: Palynological strew samples; 2887 m, Jansz-1; 2810 m, 2844 m, 2882 m, Jansz-3; 3179 m, Laminaria-2.
Age: Callovian–Kimmeridgian (V. tabulata–D. swanense zones; Fig. 5)
Lithostratigraphic occurrence: The Laminaria, Elang, Frigate, Montara and lower Vulcan fms of the Bonaparte Basin. The Calypso Fm, Dingo Claystone, Jansz Sandstone and Eliassen Fm of the Northern Carnarvon Basin.
Description: An intermediate, spherical to subspherical, proximochorate, dinoflagellate cyst with a smooth to scabrate endophragm and a closely appressed periphragm. The periphragm bears numerous non-tabular processes that may be hollow, solid or variably septate (Fig. 9J–L). Processes, cylindrical or with tapering shafts, flare distally into secate to arboriform terminations, which may recurve towards the central body or interconnect with adjacent processes. Tabulation is typically indicated by the principal and accessory archeopyle sutures, more rarely by incomplete pandasutural bands up to 4 μmwide created by penitabular aligned processes. Tabulation gonyaulacacean of formula:? pr, 4′, 6″,?6c, 6″’, 1p, 1″”,?5–6 s. Archeopyle apical, Type (tA), operculum free, deep accessory archeopyle sutures common.
Dimensions: (29 specimens measured)
Length without operculum: 41 (50) 63
Width: 39 (47) 61
Max process length: 5 (6.5) 11
Comparison and remarks: Sepispinula florida differs from other species of Sepispinula in having distinctively secate to arboriformdistal process tips: Sepispinula ancorifera (Cookson and Eisenack, 1960a) Islam, 1993 and Sepispinula tenue (Harris, 1974) Masure in Fauconnier and Masure, 2004 exhibit ancoriform processes, and Sepispinula pertusa (Davey, 1969)Masure in Fauconnier andMasure, 2004 has conical processes with recurved distal spines. Sepispinula florida is distinguished from Cleistosphaeridium oxfordianum in being bi-layered and lacking processes with dolabrate terminations. The process morphology of Sepispinula florida is highly variable with numerous styles of terminations expressed on a single specimen while the length of all processes remains consistent.