COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
BUREAU OF MINERAL RESOURCES
GEOLOGY AND GEOPHYSICS
RECORDS:
1964/144
PLANT FOSSILS FROM BARALABA QUEENSLA1D1;? 1 963.
by
Mary E. White
The information contained in this report has been obtained by the
Department of National Development, as part of the policy of the Commonwealth Government, to assist in the exploration and development of mineral
resources. It may not be published in any form or used in a company
prospectus without the permission in writing of the Director, Bureau of
Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics.
PLANT FOSSILS FROM BARALAllA, QUEENSLAND, 1963
by
Mary E; Whit.
RECORDS 1964/144
CONTmrS
~
Sunmary
1
IntroductlOJl
1
Looali ty llA 368
1
Looality - Baralaba Coal Mina
1
Local i ty - Moura Open Cut Mine
2
Locol1 ty BA 889
3
Locality BA 10
3
References
4
Plate I
fig . 1 and 2
5
Plata II fig. 3 and 4
6
Plata III fig. 5 and 6
7
Plat. IV
fig. 7, 8 and 9
8
The information contained in this report bas been obtained by the
Department of National Development, 8e part of the policy of the Commonwealth
Government, to assiet in the exploration and development of mineral resources.
It may not be publlahed in any rono or used in a company prospectus without
~he permission 1n writing of the Director, Bureau of Mineral Resources,
Geology and Geophysios.
/
PLAm FOSSILS FROl4 BARALABA. QUEENSLAND. 1963
Mary E. White.
Summary:
Plant fossils were colle cted at five localities in the Baralaba
region of Queensland in 196.3.
An Upper Bowen assemblage of
plants occurs at three localities, the plant remains at the
fourth are indeterminate, and Triassic or Triassic/Jurassic
plants are identified at the fifth locality.
Introduction
Upper Bowen Coal Measure plants \lere collected in the Baralaba Coal
Mine, the Moura Open Cut Mine and at Locality BA 368.
The preservation
of many of the specimens is exceptionally good.
Those from the Baralaba
Mine are coaly and the impressions on the black rock are difficult to
photograph, so wherever possible illustration of a species is made from
specimens in the Moura Open Cut coll ection, where the caroonised impressions
on pale grey shale are ideal f or photography.
I
f
Specimens from the Moolayember Formation containing Triassic or Triassic/
JurassiC plants are not very good and are not suitable for photography.
Details of localities and plants identified followl- ·
1.
Locality BA 368% - 2 miles S.H. of Theodore beside the Theodor e-Taroom
Road.
Ba R9! S10S.
Monto 1:250,000 Sheet.
Specimens F 22434. :
The following plants are present:-
Nummulosperroum bowense Walkom
Glossopteris indica Sch.
(Seeds)
GlossopteriS angustifolia Bgt.
Painted, narrow Glossopteris scale l eaves.
Glossopteris cons pi cua Feist.
Broad, cordate Glossopteris scale leaves .
VeriGbraria indica Royle.
Sphenopteris 1.bifQlia (Morr.)
Iudeterminate wood impress i ons.
This is a typical Upper Bowen assemblage •
.An: Upper Permian.
2.
Locality - Baralaba Coal Mine; - At Baralaba
Baralab81:2S0,ooO Shoet. R2! S092.
Specimens F 22437 and F 2241.6 (lllu9trated).
Equisotalean stems and leaf sheaths of Phyllothe ca australis Brong.
.
associated with leaves of Glos sopteris indica Soh.
Glossopteris communis
Feist and occasional leaves of Glos sopteris parallela Feist.
A fern,
Sphepopteris lob1folla' (Morr.) ia also present.
Bre
\
2.
Glossopteris parallela, illustrated in Figure 1 neg. F/4129 (of specimen
F 22446), is a leaf with a strongly Toeniopteroid appearance, having parallel
margina, a distinct midrib and lateral venation almost at right angles to the
midrib with anastomoses only close to the midrib.
The leaves are elongated
and narrow.
Taeniopteroid Glossopteris leaves are characteristic of Upper
Permian horizons.
They are fore-runners of the Taeni0pteris flora of the
Triassic and Jurassio.
Phyllotheca australis illustrated in Figure 1, is a very common
Equisstalean of Permian strata in Australia.
Well preserved leaf sheaths
are relatively rare.
I
~:
3.
Upper Permian.
Local!ty - Moura Open Cut
Mine: - 5 miles E of Moura on the Honto
1: 250,000 Sheet.
Upper Bowen Coal Measures.
Specimens F 22438 (bulk of collection)
SpeciJllens F 22439-45 (Illustrated)
The following species are Idcntified:Vertebraria indica Royle
Glossopteris communis Feist.
Glossopteris conspicuA Feist.
Glossopteris indica Sch.
Glossopteris Jqnesi Walkom.
GlossopteriS ampla Dana.
Glossopteris angustifolia Brong.
Glossopteris scale leaves - small, pointed.
Glossopteris scale leaves - elongated, foliose, fertilo
scale-frond type.
Glossopteris scale leaves - broad, elongated type.
Dictyopteridium sporiferum Feist.
Sphenopteris lobifolia Feist.
SphenopteriS polymorpha Feist.
C1a4o;ghlabis rOYle! Arbsr.
Specimen F 22439.
Figure 2 neg. F/4128 of Sphenopterl.s polymorpha Fel.st.
(associated with Glossopteris communis and GlossopteriS
indica) shows beautifully preserved fronds with lobed
pinnules~
Spacimen F
22~.
In Figure 3 neg. F!4126 a torminal portion of a frond
of Sphenopteris lobifolia (Morr.) ie illustrated.
Spa cimon F
22M1.
Figure 4 nag. F/4132 shows a very large leaf of
~sopterls COPBB1CY8 Feist.
Specimen F 22442.
In Figure 5 neg. F/4125 a largo leaf of Glossopteris
communis shows the venation and the form of the leaf
tapering towards the apex.
Specimen F 22443.
Figure 6 nag. F!41J1.
Leaves of Glossoptoris oonsyicua (A) are associated
with GlossopteriS communis B} and t",o scale tronds (or
modified leaves ) - (C).
The scale fronds are similar
to the modified and fertile leaves ",hich occur With
Lldgettonif australis White, the fertile phaso of GlossopteriS angustlfolla from the ' BaWD Basin (White, f9b1T.
3.
On the reverse side of the speeiman, two broad,
pointed scale-fronds occur in close proximity as if they
were two of a three-f'rond whorl.
These BCala fronds
are of the same type as those which occur associated \lith
Lidgottonia africana (Hamshaw Thomas, 1958).
Specimen F 22444:
Figure 7 neg. F/4123.
A reproductive · structure of Dlctvootoridlum aooriferum
Feist type is seen 1h this specimen.
The organ is 2.5 em
long and 1 em wide, tapering s lightly at the base.
It is
covered with circu1ar sporangia.
Faint , gangamop\.eroid
venation is visible between the sporangia and the margins
of the organ are smooth and slightly down~turned.
Similar examples of Dictvot3hridium sporiferum were
recorded from Saralaba in 1962 White 1963 and Rigby 1962)
and by \/alkom (1922) from Dawson Valley, Queensland;
DictYopt€-ridium aporiferum 1s in my opinion the
fertile male scale frond of a Glossopteris.
It seems
probable that it is tho fertile phase of Glossopteris
communis whose female fertile phase is described as
C1stel1a bowensis (White, 1963).
Specimen F 22445:
\
Specimen F 22447:
Figure 8 neg. F/4130.
Dictyopteridium sporiferum slightly larger
in Figure 7.
~han
that
Figure 9 neg. F/4127 shows Glossopteris jonesi \/alk.
Age
of MaUl" a Open Cut Min\) plant assemblage:
Upper
, Permian.
,
4.
Locality SA 889:
Specimens F22435:
Road cutting in the Gogungo Ranges.
7 miles S\I of Grantleigh siding.
Duaringa 1 :250,000 Sheet.
Du R7/50'{7.
Indeterminate yood impressions.
w.:
5.
Locality SA 10:
Specimens F 22436.
Indeterminate.
Mimosa Creek, 2 miles W of Wooronab Homestead.
Saralaba 1 : 250,000 Sheet.
Sa R1/5011.
Moolayember Formation.
Dicroidium odontopteroidos (Morr) Gothan.
Equisetalean stems.
SphenoptGris sp. cf. S. suoorhs S,h irley.
Terminal
portions of fronds only,venation indistinct.
Thinnfeldia talbragarensis Walk .
A frond with portions
of 4 pinnae .
Each haa a lobed margin.
Preservation
is poor and deteTmination on such an incomplete specimen
is not very reliable.
Tt talbragarensis YaB described from the TalbI-agar Fisb
Beds and occurs also in the IpsYlch and Esk Series.
Ph¥llopterls sp.'
Dicroidium lancifolium type pinnu1es.
May be referable
to D. odontoptgroides or to Thinnfeldia hughes!.
Aga of BA 10:
Triassic or Triassic/Jurassic.
References
Rigby,
J.,
1962.
On a collection of plante of Permian age from
Baralaba, Queensland.
Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S.W. 87, 3; 341-351.
Thomas, H. Hamahaw, 1958. Lidgettonia, a new type of fertile Glossopteris.
Bull.Brit.Mus. (Nat. Rist.) Geol. 3. 179-189.
Walkom, A.B. 1922.
Palaeozoic Floras of Queensland. 1. Flora of the
Lower and Upper Bowen series.
Publ.Geol.Surv. Q.ld.
270.
Report on 1960 plant fossil colleotions from the
1!owen Basin, Queensland.
Bur.Min.Res.Auat.
1963.
Records 1961/60.
Reproductive structures 1n Australian Upper Permian
GlosBopteridae ..
Proo.Linn.Soo. N.S.W. 88, 3; 403, 392-396.
Plate I
FiE. 1.
Figure 2.
J
Specimen F 22446 . neg. F/4129 .
Phyllotheca australis Brong.
Glossopteris parallsla Feist .
Natural size .
Specimen F 22439. J
neg. F/4128 .
Sphenopteris pOlymorpha Feist .
Natural size .
6.
Plate II
Figure 3. Specimen F 22440. neg. F/4126.
Sphenoptoris lobifolia
Natural size.
10
Figure
4. Specimen F 22441
neg. F/4132.
Glossopteris conspicua Feist, \-/
Natural size.
10
Plate
Figura
5.
In
Specimen F 22442 . neg'. F!4125.
Glossopteris oommunis Feist .
Natural size.
'0
Figure 6.
Specimen F 22443 . neg. F!4131.
GlosaopteriB conepioua
Glossopteris oommunis (B .
Glossopteris Bcale fronds (0) .
Na.tural size .
(Al'
8.
Plate IV
Figure 7. Specimen F 2244. neg. F/4123.
Dictyopteridium sporiferum Feist.
Nnti3ral size.
Figure 8. Specimen F 22445. neg. F/4130 V
Dictyopteridium sporiferum Feist.
Natural size.
Figure
9. Specimen
F 22447. neg. F/4127. \.
Glossopteris jonesi Walk.
Natural size.