For references with pictures, try any paleobotany
textbook. Stewart and Rothwell (1993) and Taylor and Taylor
(1991) are the most current, but your purposes may be
served just as well with older texts. Check out the
carboniferous plants. It will help if you know the age of
your coal balls (Pennsylvanian or Mississippian). Once you
identify particular things in the samples, the books should
lead fairly easily into the appropriate primary literature,
where pictures are plentiful, if you want to go that far.
In my experience, 'random coal balls' tend to have
a great deal of Cordaite leaves (they look like bicycle
chains). Sometimes you will find sections of sphenophyll
stems, , medullosan stems and petioles, or coenopterid
petioles (Botryopteris, Etapteris, for example). Every
once in a while, you will find seeds or cones from
lycopsids and sphenophylls, but these are not as common as
the other stuff.
Be sure your students realise that these are just
small pieces of plants, and that they are often somewhat
crushed. Also, taxa are erected for these pieces as well as
for the entire plant.
This is a feasible lab, but the students' interest
will vary incredibly.
Doug
On 6 Nov 1998 12:59:49 -0800 "\"Wilson, Rachel\""
<WilsonR at philacol.edu> wrote:
> In my plant biology class next semester I am planning to have the students
> prepare peels of coal balls. We have done this in the past, but I would
> like to do more with the peels this year in terms of examination if at all
> possible. Can anyone recommend reference(s) that may include pictures of
> (presumably) spores, stem bits, etc. of some of the major taxa one would
> find? Comments regarding feasibility also welcome as I am not a
> paleobotanist!
>> Rachel M. Wilson
> School of Science and Health
> Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science
> 4201 Henry Avenue
> Philadelphia, PA 19144-5497
> (215) 951-2880
>>
>>>>>>>>>Douglas P. Jensen
Department of Biology
MSC 7801
James Madison University
Harrisonburg VA 22807
phone: (540)568-3343
jensendp at jmu.edu
