Leptosporangiate ferns from the Carboniferous basins of Bohemia, selected taxa

The diploma thesis revises ten selected species of sphenopterid ferns of Carboniferous age deposited in the National Museum in Prague, the West-Bohemian Museum in Pilsen and the British Geological Survey in Keyworth, England. Sphenopterid ferns were studied based on reproductive organs aquired by maceration of coalified plant remains preserved as compressions. Sporangia and their annulus are important diagnostic features for individual genera and species of sphenopterid ferns and for selected species have not been described yet. Following species were studied: Boweria schatzlarensis, Myriotheca anglica, Renaultia crépini, Sturia amoena, Oligocarpia gutbiery, Zeilleria hymenophylloides, Zeilleria avoldensis, Discopteris sp. ("doubravensis"), Scolecopteris elegans a Waldenburgia corynepteroides. With the exception of Waldenburgia corynepteroides, Scolecopteris elegans, Zeilleria hymenophylloides and Zeilleria avoldensis species type material was studied. Maceration of sporangia of Boweria schatzlarensis showed presence of lateral annulus while in case of Myriotheca anglica the annulus is lateral or more likely of a special type, placed on both sides of the sporangia. Annulus type determination of Renaultia crépini also made possible to assign this species within the range of the genus Tenchovia and..