First records of Annulispora folliculosa (Rogalska) De Jersey and Polycingulatisporites mooniensis de Jersey & Paten from the upper Triassic of New Zealand

Abstract

In 1968 G. J. Wilson, C. R. Lennie and M. I. Dickson collected samples from gritty sandstones containing distinct shell-beds and from poorly fossiliferous tuffaceous greywacke and siltstone south of Kiritehere Stream, Marakopa Beach, SW Auckland. All processed samples were devoid of pollen and spores, except for one which had a very poor flora (sheet fossil number N82/f697, slide L5884) of Otapirian (Rhaetian) age. The flora consisted of Osmundacidites wellmanii Couper, Stereisporites antiquasporites (Wilson and Webster) Dettmann, Vitreisporites pallidus (Reissinger) Nilsson, Lycopodiacidites sp., Leiotriletes sp., Araucariacidites sp., and two species new to the New Zealand flora, Annulispora folliculosa (Rogalska) De Jersey and Polycingulatisporites mooniensis De Jersey & Paten. Osmundacidites wellmanii was the dominant type. Pollen and spores have been found from only one other New Zealand Triassic sample, N91/f554, slide L885, from a cutting on Manganui Road, near Awakino Gorge (grid reference 217482; Oretian? Stage, Grant-Mackie, 1959), which gave a very rich flora with abundant saccate grains. It was collected from part of a thin (2–4 inch) lens of coal in beds with rare leaf impressions. Re-examination of the slides confirmed an absence of Annulispora and Polycingulatisporites. Neither have been recorded from the few Jurassic samples examined.