Bion ramosa, (Ehrenberg, 1838), Eisenack, 1938

NOW Spiniferites ramosus. Originally Xanthidium ramosum (Acritarch), subsequently (and now) Spiniferites ramosus, thirdly Hystrichosphaera ramosa, fourthly Ovum hispidum subsp. ramosum (combination not validly published, Acritarch), fifthly Bion ramosum. Sarjeant (1970, p.75) retained this species in Spiniferites.
Tax. sr. synonym of:
Hystrichosphaera furcata (Ehrenberg, 1838) O. Wetzel, 1933, according to Davey and Williams, 1966; Geodia? tripunctata Merrill, 1895, by implication, according to Sarjeant, 1964, who considered Geodia? tripunctata to be a tax. jr. synonym of Hystrichosphaera furcata; Galea koryka Maier, 1959, according to Sarjeant, 1983; Hystrichosphaeridium echinoides Maier, 1959, according to Sarjeant, 1983; Hystrichosphaeridium plicatum Maier, 1959, according to Sarjeant, 1983, who considered Hystrichosphaeridium plicatum to be a synonym of Spiniferites ramosus ssp. gracilis (Davey and Williams, 1966) Lentin and Williams, 1973; Areoligera birama Maier, 1959, according to Morgenroth, 1968 and Stover and Evitt, 1978; Hystrichosphaera (subsequently Spiniferites) bulloideus (Deflandre and Cookson, 1955) Sarjeant, 1970, according to Harland, 1977; however, Lentin and Williams, 1981 retained Spiniferites bulloideus as a separate species; Homotryblium distinctum Salujha and Kindra, 1981, by
implication, according to Jain and Garg, 1982, who considered Homotryblium distinctum to be a tax. jr. synonym of the autonym Spiniferites ramosus ssp. ramosus. This is a cyst equivalent of Gonyaulax spinifera (Claparede and Lachmann, 1859) Diesing, 1866, according to Dodge, 1989.

Holotype: not designated
Lectotype: Ehrenberg, 1838, pl.1, fig.5; designated by Davey and Williams, 1966
Age: Late Cretaceous