APPENDIX A

This megaspore shares all the major characteristics of the genus, as described by Cookson and Dettmann (1958), but seems to be intermediate between the species Balmeisporites holodictyus and Balmeisporites glenelgensis. The transparent outer exoexine, which covers the central body, forms only at the edges a reticulum, especially the proximate side around the triletum of the spore is smooth. Small monolete spores of the Perinomonoletes type are attached to the megaspore.

One pollen specimen (Pl. P4, fig. 8) might be related to the pollen genus Afropollis sp.; however, the preservational state is relatively poor. Pollen grains are ovoidal in shape and sulcate?; the pollen grain might split in a similar way as in Afropollis zonatus Doyle et al. (1982). The exine of the grain of Core 183-1138A-73R seems to be detached from the nexine over most of the surface of both hemispheres. The exine is semitectate and reticulate. The reticulum is slightly finer at the aperture.

Diameter of the complete grain = ~35 µm, thickness of exine = <1 µm, diameter of lumina in the reticulum = ~0.2-0.3 µm.

The pollen specimens in our material show the typical features of the genus. Most of the specimens encountered have a thin exine and short clavae with very small heads. This type, here referred to as C. hughesii, Type A (Pl. P4, fig. 3) is identical to previously published records from the Australian region (Dettmann, 1973; Helby et al., 1987; Burger, 1993). In the Kerguelen Plateau material a second type also exists, here referred to as C. hughesii, Type B (Pl. P5, fig. 5) with a thicker exine and more robust clavae. This type is observed only rarely.

The surface of the small tricolpate grain (length = ~12 µm; equatorial diameter = ~8 µm) seems to be more or less smooth, and the features fit in principle with those given by Dettmann (1973). However, in the area of the intercolpium the columellae seem to be somewhat more widely spaced so that single elements are visible at a magnification of ~1200x.

Here, pollen of this taxon is united in a tetrahedral tetrade. Otherwise, all the features described by Dettmann (1973) and Burger (1993) are present in the Kerguelen Plateau material.

Length = ~40 µm; polar diameter = ~30 µm.

Several of the specimens encountered are close in appearance to the decription of A. granulatum given by Lucas-Clark (1987). However, some of the specimens, especially in Sample 183-1138A-68R-3, 123-125 cm, seem to have a broad morphological range. Several of these show extremely thick but more or less smooth walls with internal structures. Other specimens show relatively long apical horns and thick rugulate wall surfaces.