Abstract
The problematic organism, Sporocarpon, was among the first fossil fungi to be described. The genus was actually a heterogeneous assemblage of fungal forms, and was eventually divided into several taxa including Sporocarpon, Dubiocarpon, and Mycocarpon. In the present paper these organisms, as well as a similar, previously undescribed genus, Coleocarpon; are described from Lower, Middle, and Upper Pennsylvanian strata in North America, and from Upper Carboniferous sediments in England. Although initially considered to be radiolarian-like protozoa, these structures show far more similarity to ascomycetous cleistothecia. All forms are ornamented, spherical bodies with a complex wall which encloses scattered asci and ascospores. Taxa are distinguished primarily by differences in the organization of the cleistothecial wall. Structurally similar organisms are found today among the Eurotiales.
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