STUDIES OF PALEOZOIC FUNGI. I. THE STRUCTURE AND ORGANIZATION OF TRAQUAIRIA (ASCOMYCOTA)

Traquairia is one of the several unusual fungal structures occurring in Pennsylvanian coal balls. Specimens were initially described from European sediments and are now known from the Pennsylvanian of North America. Although Traquairia was originally believed to be a protozoan closely related to the radiolarians, its structure and organization suggest affinities with members of the fungal group, Ascomycota. Specimens are irregularly shaped and up to 1.0 mm in diameter. Each cleistothecium bears prominent radiating spines that are continuous with a peripheral mat of extensively branched, delicate hyphal filaments. A complex wall encloses a central cavity which may contain a number of asci with ascospores. Among extant fungi, Traquairia is most similar in form to members of the Eurotiales and Erysiphales.