Revision of Lithostrotionella - USGS

SYSTEMATIC PALEONTOLOGY 17
Occurrence. -Lower Carboniferous, lower to upper
Visean. U.S.S.R., U.S.A., Canada, China.
Acrocyathus floriformis d'Orbigny
Plates 5-14, 16
Not Astraea mamillaris Fischer von Waldheim, 1830, pl. 31, fig. 3
Astraea mamillaris Castelnau, 1843, p. 45, pl. 24, fig. 5.
Acrocyathu,sjloriformis d'Orbigny, 1849a, p. 12; 1850, p. 160; 1852, p.
184; Thevenin in Boule and others, 1906, expl. pl. 6, pl. 6, figs. 1, 2;
1907, p. 90; 1923, p. 90, expl. pl. 6, pl. 6, figs. 1, 2; Easton, 1973, p.
130, pl. 1, figs. 1a-f.
Acrocyathu,s sp. Easton, 1973, p. 132, pl. 1, figs. 2a-b.
Not Ax1:nura canadensis Castelnau, 1843, p. 49, pl. 24, fig. 4.
Lithost?·otion mamillare Milne-Edwards and Haime, 1851, p. 433, pl.
13, fig. 1 [part]; Hall in Hall and Whitney, 1858, p. 667, pl. 24, figs.
5a, b; Rominger, 1876, p. 111, pl. 55, upper-right figure [part].
LithostTotion mamillare (Castelnau). White, 1880a (1883), p. 159, pl.
40, figs. 6a, b; 1880b, p. 506, pl. 6, figs. 1, 2; 1882, p. 401, pl. 52,
fig. 3.
Not LithostTotion mamillare(?) Meek, 1864, p. 5, pl. 1, figs. 4-4b.
Lithost1·otion canadense Milne-Edwards and Haime, 1851, p. 483, pl.
13, fig. 1 [part]; Milne-Edwards, 1860, p. 423; Owen, 1862, p. 364,
fig. 6; Butts, 1926, p. 176, pl. 58, figs. 12, 13; Morse, 1930, p. 104,
pl. 9; Weller, 1931, p. 274, pl. 36, figs. 1a, b.
Lithost1·otion canadense (Castelnau). Weller, 1898, p. 329 [part].
Lithost1·otion? canadense Ulrich, 1905, p. 33, pl. 3, figs. 1, 2.
Lithost1·otion "canadensis" (Castelnau). Butts, 1941, p. 239, pl. 129,
fig. 3.
Lithostrotion basaltiforme Owen, 1852, expl. pl. 4, pl. 4, figs. 5, 6;
Butts, 1917, p. 46, pl. 11, figs. 1, 2. ·
Lithost?·otionella castelnaui Hayasaka, 1936, p. 58, pl. 11, figs. 1, 2
[part]; Weller and others, 1952, p. 84, pl. 1, figs. 6, 7; Allen and
Lester, 1954, p. 101, pl. 26, fig. 1.
Lithostrotian [LithostTotionella] castelnaui (Hayasaka). Bassler, 1950,
p. 217 [part].
Lithost1•otionella a?nericana Hayasaka, 1936, p. 62, pl. 14, figs. 1, 2
[part].
Lithostrotion [Lithostrotionella] a?nericanum Bassler, 1950, p. 217
[part).
Lithostrotionella hemisphaerica Hayasaka, 1936, p. 61, pl. 12, fig. 1,
pl. 13, figs. 1, 2 [part).
Lithostrotion [Lithostrotionella} hemisphericum (Hayasaka). Bassler,
1950, p. 217 [part).
Not Lithostrotionellajloriformis Hayasaka, 1936, p. 64, pl. 17, fig. 1.
Material studied. -MNHN 1140 (holotype), FL 411;
USNl\1 756, 3779, 8211, 13669, 15526, 17071, 17848,
37466, 39654, 42695, 42766, 71646, 98102, 120235,
120236, 120237, 120238, 120240, 120241, 135092,
135094, 135096, 135097, 135172, 135173, 135174,
135177, 135179, 135300, 135301, 135302, 136704,
161989, 161990, 161991, 161992, 161993, 161994,
161995, 161997, 161998, 161999, 162000, 162001,
166604, 166605, 174376, 174377, 216198, 216199,
216200, 216202, 216203, 216204, 216205, 216206,
216207, 216208, 216210, 216211, 216212, 216214.
Diagnosis. -Predominantly cerioid Acrocyathus with
corallite diameter 10 to 30 mm and 20 to 40 major septa
that are ordinarily short and do not extend across the
tabula.rium to the columella and seldom extend into the
dissepimentarium. Cardinal fossula ordinarily well
developed. Counter septum commonly joined to columella.
Minor septa weakly developed as crests on
dissepiments. Columella highly variable, ranging from a.
simple axial plate joined to the counter septum to a complex
spiderweb structure made up of an axial plate, septal
lamellae, and axial tabellae or upturned edges of
tabulae; thysanophylloid variants are known. Dissepimentarium
composed of 1 to 5 rows of large and
small, ordinarily inflated dissepiments. Tabulae complete,
conical, sharply deflected upward at columella and
without shoulders or with poorly defined shoulders and
spaced about 1 mm apart. Peripheral tabellae rare. Axial
tabellae common. Ratio of tabularium width to corallite
diameter 0.4 to 0.6. Increase is peripheral.
Descript1:on of holotype. -See Easton (1973).
Disc'ussion. -This species is characterized by the
highly variable structure of the columella and the great
range in corallite diameter and number of major septa
(fig. 3). The variation in the latter two characters appears
to be continuous and does not permit recognition
of separate species or subspecies. The species has been
divided into two subspecies on the basis of the complexity
of the columella (see below). Similarities between
Acrocyathus floriformis and the fasciculate species A.
proliferus are discussed under A. proliferus.
Occurrence. -A. floriformis is abundant in and
characteristic of the St. Louis Limestone and correlative
formations in the Southeastern Province of Sando and
others (1975, 1977). Data on its occurrence are noted
under th~ two subspecies of the species.
Acrocyathus floriformis floriformis d'Orbigny
Plates 5-11; plate 16, figure 2
Not AstTaea ·mamillaris Fischer von Waldheim, 1830, pl. 31, fig. 3.
AstTaea marnillaris Castelnau, 1843, p. 45, pl. 24, fig. 5.
Acrocyathu,sfloriformis d'Orbigny, 1849a, p. 12; 1850, p. 160; 1852, p.
184; Thevenin in Boule, 1906, expl. pl. 6, pl. 6, figs. 1, 2; 1907, p. 90;
1923, p. 90, expl. pl. 6, pl. 6, figs. 1, 2; Easton, 1973, p. 130, pl. 1,
figs. 1a-f.
?Lithostrotion mamillare Milne-Edwards and Haime, 1851, p. 433, pl. ·
13, fig. 1 [part]; Rominger, 1876, p. 111, pl. 55, upper right figure
[part].
Not Lithostrotion mamillare (Castelnau). White, 1880a (1883), p. 159,
pl. 40, figs. 6a, b; 1880b, p. 506, pl. 6, figs. 1, 2; 1882, p. 401, pl. 52,
fig. 3.
Not Lithostrotion mamillare(?) Meek, 1864, p. 5, pl. 1, figs. 4-4b.
?Lithosf:rotion canadense Milne-Edwards and Haime, 1851, p. 483, pl.
13, fig. 1 [part].
Lithostrotion canadense Butts, 1926, p. 176, pl. 58, figs. 12, 13.
Lithostrotion? canadense Ulrich, 1905, p. 33, pl. 3, figs. 1, 2.
?Lithostrotion basaltiforme Owen, 1852, expl. pl. 4, pl. 4, figs. 5, 6.
Lithostrotion basaltiforme Owen. Butts, 1917, p. 46, pl. 11, figs. 1, 2.
Lithostrotionella castelnaui Hayasaka, 1936, p. 58, pl. 11, figs. 1, 2.
Lithost'rotion [Lithostrotionella] castelnaui (Hayasaka). Bassler, 1950,
p. 217.
Lithostrotion.ella a?nericana Hayasaka, 1936, p. 62, pl. 1.4, figs. 1, 2
[part].