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Florentinia stellata
Florentinia stellata (Maier, 1959) Below, 1982
Originally Hystrichosphaeridium, subsequently Hystrichosphaeridium?, thirdly (and now) Florentinia, fourthly Hystrichokolpoma. Srivastava (1995, p.306) retained this species in Florentinia.
Taxonomic senior synonym: Hystrichokolpoma rigaudiae, according to Sarjeant (1983, p.104) - however, Srivastava (1995, p.306) retained Florentinia stellata.
Holotype: Maier, 1959, pl.33, fig.3; Sarjeant, 1983, pl.7, fig.1-2
Paratypes: Maier, 1959
Locus typicus: Schwedeneck-Hustedt, NW Germany
Stratum typicum: Middle Oligocene-Middle Miocene
Translations Maier, 1959 and Below, 1982: LPP
Original description: Maier, 1959, p. 320: Hystrichosphaeridium stellatum
Diagnosis: A species of the genus Hystrichosphaeridium with the following special characteristics: On the spherical body, broad and narrow processes are arranged regularly in a triangular form.
Description: The spherical shell has a membrane with a fibrous structure. Broad and narrow processes are symmetrically arranged. If the broad processes, arranged in a plane, are connected, then an isosceles triangle arises. This figure repeats slightly displaced in other planes. The slender processes stand on the sides of the triangles. The paratypes are not as regularly developed. 3 specimens.
Dimensions: Sphere diameter 62 Ám, length of broad processes 34 Ám, length of slender processes 38 Ám.
Affinities:
Maier, 1959, p. 321: Hystrichosphaeridim stellatum
The combination of broad and slender processes has been described repeatedly. Most conspicuous is the similarity with Hystricchosphaera bulbosa (Ehrenberg). However, in that species the bottle-shaped proccesses taper more strongly and are distally hardly serrate, whilst H. stellatum has distally serrate proceses, which widen in a funnel-like fashion. A relation with Hystrichosphaeridium biformoides Eisenack musst be excluded. The wide processes of that species are distally closed, those of H. stellatum open. The broad processes of H. biformoides Eisenack bear accessory tips and the slender appendices are partly pointed, partly branched. In H. flosculus Deflandre and H. truncigerum Deflandre the wide protruberances are cylindrical and partly sculptured, so that here as well a direct connection must be excluded.
Below, 1982, p. 10
The specimens of the Moroccan Vraconian distinguish themselves by long, tubiform processes. The differentiation of the processes in two categories, determined by narrower and broader diameters, is not as clear as in the holotype. The forms may well be compared to the specimens described by Cookson and Hughes 1964 form the Middle Cretaceous of England, and specimens described by Singh 1971 from the Albian of Canada, but may as well be interpreted as variations of Florentinia deanei (Davey and Williams 1966) Davey and Verdier 1973.
Sarjeant, 1983, p.104
The illustrations of Hystrichosphaeridium stellatum provided in Maier"s paper (1959, pl.33, fig.3-4) are so closely similar to her illustration of Hystrichokolpoma rigaudae (ibid., pl.31, fig.2) that it is astonishing, not only that she failed to perceive the identity of the two species, but that other authors - myself included! - have failed to do so. My examination of the holotype of stellatum (Schwedenek- Hustedt, preparation 552b; see pl. 7 figs. 1-2) - I did not find the paratype - left me in no doubt that the two species are morphologically identical. The rejection of the name stellatum, as a junior subjective synonym of rigaudae, thus is here proposed without hesitation.
Originally Hystrichosphaeridium, subsequently Hystrichosphaeridium?, thirdly (and now) Florentinia, fourthly Hystrichokolpoma. Srivastava (1995, p.306) retained this species in Florentinia.
Taxonomic senior synonym: Hystrichokolpoma rigaudiae, according to Sarjeant (1983, p.104) - however, Srivastava (1995, p.306) retained Florentinia stellata.
Holotype: Maier, 1959, pl.33, fig.3; Sarjeant, 1983, pl.7, fig.1-2
Paratypes: Maier, 1959
Locus typicus: Schwedeneck-Hustedt, NW Germany
Stratum typicum: Middle Oligocene-Middle Miocene
Translations Maier, 1959 and Below, 1982: LPP
Original description: Maier, 1959, p. 320: Hystrichosphaeridium stellatum
Diagnosis: A species of the genus Hystrichosphaeridium with the following special characteristics: On the spherical body, broad and narrow processes are arranged regularly in a triangular form.
Description: The spherical shell has a membrane with a fibrous structure. Broad and narrow processes are symmetrically arranged. If the broad processes, arranged in a plane, are connected, then an isosceles triangle arises. This figure repeats slightly displaced in other planes. The slender processes stand on the sides of the triangles. The paratypes are not as regularly developed. 3 specimens.
Dimensions: Sphere diameter 62 Ám, length of broad processes 34 Ám, length of slender processes 38 Ám.
Affinities:
Maier, 1959, p. 321: Hystrichosphaeridim stellatum
The combination of broad and slender processes has been described repeatedly. Most conspicuous is the similarity with Hystricchosphaera bulbosa (Ehrenberg). However, in that species the bottle-shaped proccesses taper more strongly and are distally hardly serrate, whilst H. stellatum has distally serrate proceses, which widen in a funnel-like fashion. A relation with Hystrichosphaeridium biformoides Eisenack musst be excluded. The wide processes of that species are distally closed, those of H. stellatum open. The broad processes of H. biformoides Eisenack bear accessory tips and the slender appendices are partly pointed, partly branched. In H. flosculus Deflandre and H. truncigerum Deflandre the wide protruberances are cylindrical and partly sculptured, so that here as well a direct connection must be excluded.
Below, 1982, p. 10
The specimens of the Moroccan Vraconian distinguish themselves by long, tubiform processes. The differentiation of the processes in two categories, determined by narrower and broader diameters, is not as clear as in the holotype. The forms may well be compared to the specimens described by Cookson and Hughes 1964 form the Middle Cretaceous of England, and specimens described by Singh 1971 from the Albian of Canada, but may as well be interpreted as variations of Florentinia deanei (Davey and Williams 1966) Davey and Verdier 1973.
Sarjeant, 1983, p.104
The illustrations of Hystrichosphaeridium stellatum provided in Maier"s paper (1959, pl.33, fig.3-4) are so closely similar to her illustration of Hystrichokolpoma rigaudae (ibid., pl.31, fig.2) that it is astonishing, not only that she failed to perceive the identity of the two species, but that other authors - myself included! - have failed to do so. My examination of the holotype of stellatum (Schwedenek- Hustedt, preparation 552b; see pl. 7 figs. 1-2) - I did not find the paratype - left me in no doubt that the two species are morphologically identical. The rejection of the name stellatum, as a junior subjective synonym of rigaudae, thus is here proposed without hesitation.