,field ,book ,,pennsylvanian ,,plant ,,fossils ,,of ,,illinois ,charles ,collinson ,romayne ,skartvedt ,illinois ,state ,geological ,survey ,educational ,series #f ,illustration3 uncaptioned ,,state ,,of ,,illinois ,,department ,,of ,,registration ,,and ,,education ,first edition #aifj ,reprinted #aiff ,,illinois ,,state ,,geological ,,survey ,,urbana ,,illinois ,john ,c4 ,frye1 ,chief ,printed by ,authority of ,state of ,illinois1 ,ch4 #abg1 ,,irs1 ,par4 #eh4be4 ,field ,book ,,pennsylvanian ,,plant ,,fossils ,,of ,,illinois ,charles ,collinson ,romayne ,skartvedt ,illustration3 uncaptioned ,illustrations by ,marie ,e4 ,litterer ,,foreword ,illustration3 ,illuminated ,t ,this field book is intended to guide beginners in their collection and general classification of plant fossils4 ,it illustrates the plant fossils most commonly found in ,illinois and relates them to the plants of which they were a part4 ,a list of publications that will furnish more detailed identification of specimens is included4 ,the book has been prepared in response to numerous inquiries to the ,illinois ,state ,geological ,survey from amateur collectors4 ,information has been drawn from numerous sources4 ,the works of ,hirmer1 ,janssen1 ,lesquereux1 ,no1 and ,langford have been particularly useful4 ,we are especially indebted to ,dr4 ,robert ,m4 ,kosanke1 paleobotanist at the ,illinois ,state ,geological ,survey1 and ,dr4 ,wilson ,n4 ,stewart1 professor of botany of the ,university of ,illinois1 for helpful suggestions and use of their libraries4 ,,key ,,to ,,plants ,,illustrated ,,on ,,time ,,chart #a4 ,foerstia4 ,these fossils may be the earliest known occurrence of bryophytes1 although some authors have referred them to the brown algae4 ,after ,dawson4 #b4 ,psilophyton4 ,a primitive vascular plant4 ,after ,dawson4 #c4 ,lepidodendron4 ,after ,hirmer4 #d4 ,sigillaria4 ,after ,hirmer4 #e4 ,calamites4 ,after ,hirmer4 #f4 ,sphenophyllum4 ,after ,fuller and ,tippo4 #g4 ,equisetum4 ,the only living genus of scouring rushes4 ,after ,fuller and ,tippo4 #h4 ,megaphyton4 ,an ancient true fern4 ,after ,hirmer4 #i4 ,modern tropical tree fern4 ,after ,fuller and ,tippo4 #aj4 ,medullosa4 ,an ancient seed fern4 ,after ,stewart4 #aa4 ,williamsonia4 ,an extinct cycad-like tree4 ,after ,sahni4 #ab4 ,cycas4 ,a modern cycad4 ,after ,chamberlain4 #ac4 ,baiera4 ,a fossil leaf genus of ginkgo1 whose only living representative is the species ,ginkgo biloba1 saved from extinction by careful cultivation in ,china4 ,several specimens of this 8living fossil0 were presented to this country by the ,chinese and are now flourishing on many college campuses1 including that of the ,university of ,illinois4 ,after ,mgdefrau4 #ad4 ,cordaites4 ,after ,grand ,eury4 #ae4 ,lebachia4 ,a 8transition conifer10 forerunner of present day conifers4 ,after ,mgdefrau4 #af4 ,pinus4 ,modern pine4 ,after ,mgdefrau4 #ag4 ,acer4 ,common maple1 an angiosperm whose leaves are also found among ,tertiary fossils4 ,after ,mgdefrau4 #ah4 ,rosa4 ,the prairie rose1 an angiosperm4 #ai4 ,campsis4 ,trumpet vine1 an angiosperm4 ,illustration3 ,geologic ,time ,chart ,time ,units ,era and ,years ,,cenozoic 8,recent ,life0 ,pleistocene ,pliocene ,miocene ,oligocene ,eocene ,paleocene ,,mesozoic 8,middle ,life0 ,cretaceous #gj million herbaceous lycopods ,jurassic #be million yellow-green algae selaginellids ,triassic #cj million cycad-like plants ,equisetum ,,paleozoic 8,ancient ,life0 ,permian #be million transition conifers pines1 spruces1 firs1 etc4 ,equisetites ,pennsylvanian #be million ferns related to modern families bryophytes ,mississippian #cj million seed ferns calamites cycads ,devonian #ee million cordaites sphenophyllids ancient ferns ,silurian #dj million psitopsids ,foerstia ,ordovician #hj million red algae green algae ,cambrian #hj million ,,proterozoic and ,,archaeozoic ,,eras #d billion years blue-green algae chemosynthetic bacteria8 ,,no ,,certain ,,fossils ,,known ,plants ,algae yellow-green algae brown algae red algae green algae blue-green algae ,mosses bryophytes ,foerstia ,vascular ,plants 8,whisk ,ferns0 psitopsids ,club-mosses scale and seal trees quillworts herbaceous lycopods ,scouring ,rushes1 ,horsetails ,equisetites ,equisetum calamites selaginellids ,ferns and ,seed ,plants ,ferns ancient ferns ferns related to modern families ,gymnosperms ,cycads seed ferns cycads cycad-like plants ,ginkgo ,conifers cordaites transition conifers pines1 spruces1 firs1 etc4 ,flowering ,plants ,field ,book ,,pennsylvanian ,,plant ,,fossils ,,of ,,illinois ,charles ,collinson and ,romayne ,skartvedt ,illustration3 ,illuminated ,p ,plants that flourished #bjj million years ago have made ,illinois one of the best known fossil collecting sites in the world4 ,the unusual abundance and preservation of these fossils in the northern part of the state have brought collectors to ,illinois from many countries1 and prized specimens from that area may be seen in science museums throughout the world4 ,the remarkable fossils represent plants that lived during the geologic period called the ,pennsylvanian or ,coal ,age and are the result of special geologic conditions that occurred repeatedly during the period4 ,at the beginning of the ,pennsylvanian ,period1 ,illinois was part of a vast lowland that stretched for hundreds of miles to the north1 south1 and west1 and was bordered on the east by highlands4 ,at times much of the plain was swampy and1 because the climate was relatively warm and moist1 great jungles of fast growing trees1 shrubs1 and vines covered the landscape4 ,as successive generations of plants lived and died1 plant material fell into the swamp waters and1 protected there from decay1 accumulated4 ,frequently during the period1 seas spread over the swampy lowlands1 submerging the forests and covering them with mud4 ,each submergence lasted only a short time1 geologically speaking4 ,when the seas withdrew1 the deposits of sand and mud left behind were cut by streams that carried fresh sand and mud from the eastern highlands4 ,the streams eventually became clogged with sediments and when the lowland was again depressed swamp conditions returned and forests grew afresh4 ,such a cycle of deposition was repeated again and again during ,pennsylvanian time1 and after burial each layer of plant material gradually lost most of its liquids and gases and was slowly converted into one of the numerous coal beds presently found in ,illinois4 ,illustration3 ,reconstruction of ,pennsylvanian ,coal-forming ,swamp ,in some places in the state conditions existed that were especially favorable for preservation of plants1 and there delicately preserved fossils are found in great numbers4 ,in the most favorable areas1 such as in northern ,illinois1 the plants are preserved in stony nodules called concretions1 but they also may be found separately as molds1 casts1 or petrifactions4 ,molds 7concave surfaces7 and casts 7convex surfaces7 are fossilization phenomena in which the actual plant1 embedded in the surrounding background rock1 was dissolved1 leaving a hollow space 7mold7 that subsequently filled with other material4 ,a cast was thus formed that preserved the plant's external features4 ,most petrifactions are fossils in which silica1 carbonate1 or other material permeated or replaced the internal structures of the plant and preserved them so well that in most specimens the finest cellular details can be observed4 ,compressions1 another kind of petrifaction1 are the pressed carbonized remains of the plant itself4 ,,pennsylvanian ,,flora ,illustration3 ,aphthoroblattina ,illustration3 ,teneopteron ,the far-reaching ,pennsylvanian swamplands had abundant species of trees and other plants that long since have become extinct4 ,today's common deciduous trees were not present2 flowering plants had not yet evolved4 ,instead1 the tangled forests were dominated by giant ancestors of presently existing club-mosses1 horsetails1 ferns1 conifers1 and cycads4 ,the undergrowth also was well developed1 consisting mainly of ferns1 fernlike plants1 ,sphenophyllum1 and small club-mosses4 ,the plant fossils give no indication of seasonal variations4 ,the forests1 evidently always green1 grew rapidly and abundantly1 with foliage of unprecedented size and luxuriance4 ,land animals were just beginning to develop and included sluggish1 salamander-like amphibians1 large primitive insects1 and a few small reptiles4 ,the insects flourished as never before or since in the damp forests and attained remarkable size4 ,insects more than four inches long were common and some are known to have been more than a foot long with a wingspread proportionately broad4 ,ancestors of the modern spiders1 scorpions1 centipedes 7one fossil found in ,illinois was twelve inches long71 cockroaches1 and dragonflies are represented by several hundred species4 ,the fossilized plants of ,pennsylvanian time belonged to only a few main categories3 scale and seal trees1 ancient scouring rushes 7horsetails71 herbaceous ,sphenophyllum1 ferns1 seed ferns1 and cordaitean trees4 ,,scale ,,and ,,seal ,,trees 7,plate #a7 ,scale and seal trees were abundant during the ,pennsylvanian ,period and were important contributors to coal beds4 ,although distantly related to the diminutive club-mosses and ground pines of the present1 the trees grew on straight1 slender trunks to heights of more than a hundred feet4 ,illustration3 ,reconstruction of ,lepidodendron 7after ,hirmer7 ,scale trees were so called because their numerous1 closely set1 spirally arranged leaves left scarred 8cushions0 on the branches and trunk1 making them appear scaly4 ,seal trees derived their name from the signetlike appearance of their leaf cushions4 ,the two best known types belong to the genera ,lepidodendron 7scale tree7 and ,sigillaria 7seal tree71 and fossils of both are common in ,illinois4 ,lepidodendron had long1 slender1 somewhat tapering trunks4 ,some of the trees reached heights of more than #ajj feet and measured more than two feet in basal diameter4 ,the trunk ended in a spreading crown formed by repeated dichotomous branching4 ,the leaves were awl-shaped or linear1 ranging from one to #cj inches long4 ,the leaf cushions of ,lepidodendron are diamond-shaped1 longer than broad1 and arranged in spiral rows around the trunk and branches4 ,a different name1 ,lepidophyllum1 is used for fossils of the long1 bladelike leaf when it is found detached4 ,spores were borne in long cylindrical cones at the tips of the branches4 ,those cones referred1 or assigned1 to the genus ,lepidostrobus bore both small spores 7microspores7 and large spores 7megaspores7 in the same cones4 ,those in which only a large single spore1 a somewhat seedlike structure1 was developed in a spore sac 7sporangium7 are referred to the genus ,lepidocarpon4 ,the rather commonly found genus ,stigmaria comprises so-called 8appendages0 which1 although stemlike in structure1 apparently served as roots for the scale and seal trees4 ,these appendages are identified by irregular spirals of circular scars 7pits7 that mark the attachment points of former rootlets4 ,illustration3 ,reconstruction of ,sigillaria 7after ,hirmer7 ,sigillaria1 although less common than ,lepidodendron1 was widely distributed during the ,pennsylvanian ,period4 ,it differed in growth habit from ,lepidodendron in that it generally had fewer branches and not uncommonly was unbranched4 ,some species also possessed a thicker trunk1 with hexagonal to elongate leaf cushions separated by vertical ribs4 ,the trunk was crowned1 in the manner of the modern palm tree1 by a cluster of large1 grasslike leaves4 ,the detached leaves of ,sigillaria1 extremely difficult to distinguish from ,lepidophyllum 7leaves of ,lepidodendron71 are referred to the genus ,sigillariophyllum if preserved as compressions and to ,sigillariopsis if preserved as petrifactions4 ,unbranched ,sigillaria trunks have been found that are more than #ajj feet long and six feet in diameter near the base1 but the average height probably was closer to #ej feet4 ,illustration3 ,reconstruction of ,calamites 7,after ,hirmer7 ,not all ,pennsylvanian trees were large1 however4 ,small forms are known1 including the important undergrowth genera ,lycopodites and ,selaginellites4 ,in woody types the trunk consisted of an inner region of conducting and supporting tissues1 surrounding concentric cortical layers1 and an outer layer of corklike bark4 ,although the fossil impressions of the various bark layers have been given separate generic names1 these are not commonly used4 ,,scouring ,,rushes 7,plate #b7 ,although related to the small1 inconspicuous horsetails of today1 the ancient scouring rushes of the ,pennsylvanian ,period grew to the size of trees and were among the most widely distributed plant groups4 ,some of these plants attained heights of #dj feet or more1 but the average was closer to #bj feet4 ,the trunks were jointed and bore a whorl of branches at the joints 7nodes74 ,their small leaves also grew in whorls at nodes along the smaller branches4 ,internodal regions were ribbed in the same manner as present day horsetails4 ,fossils of the trunks are assigned to the genus ,calamites and quite commonly are preserved in sandstone and shale4 ,the leaf whorls are placed in the genus ,annularia4 ,one form commonly found in ,illinois has long1 pointed1 needlelike leaves and is given the name ,asterophyllites4 ,calamostachys1 shown on plate #e1 is one of the most common calamite cones4 ,,sphenophyllum 7,plate #b7 ,the name ,sphenophyllum refers to both stems and leaves of this extinct genus1 which was related to the scouring rushes--note its resemblance to ,annularia4 ,a small herbaceous plant1 ,sphenophyllum formed much of the swampy undergrowth of the ,pennsylvanian ,period and is abundant among ,illinois fossils4 ,it had a slender1 ribbed stem bearing whorls of delicate1 wedge-shaped leaves1 generally less than three-fourths of an inch long1 attached around the stem in multiples of three4 ,the cones of this group also are slender1 delicate structures1 bearing a number of sporangia1 and are correctly called ,bowmanites1 although they also have been called ,sphenophyllostachys4 ,these fossil cones frequently are found in ,illinois4 ,sphenophyllum first appeared during the ,devonian ,period1 some #cjj million years ago1 but did not become abundant until ,pennsylvanian time4 ,the genus continued through the ,permian but died out in ,triassic time4 ,,ferns 7,plates #a and #c7 ,true ferns1 like those living in today's woodlands1 were common in the ,pennsylvanian forests4 ,some species attained heights of #cj to #dj feet4 ,their fronds 7compound leaves divided into segments or leaflets7 commonly were five to six feet long4 ,illustration3 ,portion of fern frond showing sori on lower side of leaflets ,true ferns do not produce cones or seeds1 but spores1 which develop in cases called sporangia4 ,the sporangia frond showing are attached in clusters 7sori7 to the lower side or margins of the leaves4 ,in modern ferns the sporangia may also occur on fertile spikes4 ,the shape and position of the sori are used to identify modern ferns1 but because leaves that bear sori 78fertile0 leaves7 are rare among fossil specimens1 the number1 shape1 and attachment of the leaflets and the pattern of the veins are more commonly used for identification4 ,illustration3 ,reconstruction of ,megaphyton 7after ,hirmer7 ,because fossils of complete fern plants have not yet been found1 separate names have been adopted for detached leaves1 stems1 and other parts4 ,for example1 the fossil stems of some ,pennsylvanian ferns found in ,illinois have been referred to two genera1 ,megaphyton1 whose leaf attachment scars are arranged in two vertical rows1 one on either side of the stem1 and ,caulopteris1 whose leaf scars are arranged in a steep spiral that becomes progressively flatter upward until near the top they appear to be whorled4 ,when the stem is a petrifaction1 with internal structures preserved1 it is called ,psaronius4 ,the fronds are referred to a number of genera1 but those most commonly found in ,illinois are ,pecopteris1 ,asterotheca1 and ,ptychocarpus4 ,illustration3 ,venation of seed fern leaflets ,pecopteris ,asterotheca ,ptychocarpus ,,seed ,,ferns 7,plate #d7 ,seed ferns resembled true ferns in general1 but they produced seeds1 borne on modified leaves4 ,where spore sacs and seeds are absent1 the leaves of seed ferns are difficult to distinguish from those of spore ferns1 although individual seed fern leaflets1 called pinnae1 are somewhat larger4 ,illustration3 ,medullosa ,reconstruction and original drawing by ,wilson ,n4 ,stewart ,seed ferns included vinelike plants in the undergrowth and trees such as ,medullosa4 ,some tree genera were very tall1 with trunks more than two feet in diameter4 ,unlike the true ferns1 still living today1 seed ferns declined steadily after the close of the ,pennsylvanian ,period and finally became extinct during ,jurassic time4 ,during ,pennsylvanian time1 however1 they were much more numerous and varied than true ferns4 ,illustration3 ,venation of seed fern leaflets ,alethopteris ,odontopteris ,mariopteris ,neuropteris ,linopteris ,most of the common seed ferns found as fossils in ,illinois can be referred to the following leaf genera3 ,alethopteris1 ,neuropteris1 ,odontopteris1 ,linopteris1 ,mariopteris 7which may be a true fern71 ,cyclopteris1 and ,spiropteris4 ,cyclopteris includes circular leaves that occurred at the base of leaves referable to ,neuropteris4 ,spiropteris includes young leaves that had not yet uncoiled and may belong to either true ferns or seed ferns4 ,,cordaites 7,plates #a and #b7 ,illustration3 ,reconstruction of ,cordaites 7after ,hirmer7 ,cordaitean trees1 forerunners of modern conifers such as pine and spruce1 were important during the ,pennsylvanian ,period for they were distributed throughout the world4 ,these trees1 among the tallest plants of the time1 sometimes grew more than #ajj feet high4 ,the cordaitean trunk was unbranched for three-fourths of the height of the tree and was topped by dense branches bearing large1 simple1 straplike leaves spirally arranged4 ,the leaves had closely set parallel veins and measured from half an inch to three feet or more long4 ,internally1 the structure of the trunks was similar to that of modern pine trunks4 ,casts of the pith are referred to the genus ,artisia4 ,the seeds were borne in clusters on branches in leaf axils4 ,the ,cordaites were major contributors to some coal beds4 ,,fruiting ,,bodies 7,plate #e7 ,fossils representing many kinds of plant reproductive structures are found in ,pennsylvanian rocks1 but unfortunately most of them are not attached to any identifiable part of the parent plant and they cannot be assigned definitely to a particular plant4 ,such fossils are referred to genera and species solely on the basis of their own characteristics1 although1 as in other fossil classifications1 such 8form genera0 are presumed to be parts of1 or related to1 the plants with which they are found in habitual association4 ,a few such fossils1 fairly common in ,illinois1 are illustrated on plate #e to show their general shape and size4 ,when attached to an identifiable leaf or leaflet1 the seed is referred to as the seed of that leaf genus4 ,for example1 ,holcospermum1 a radially symmetrical seed with ribs and grooves1 ,codonotheca1 a stalked1 spore-bearing1 lobed 8cup10 and ,neuropterocarpus1 a flask-shaped seed with longitudinal ribs and grooves1 all have been associated with ,neuropteris1 a leaf genus4 ,illustration3 ,mazon ,creek ,strip ,mine ,area ,showing ,distribution of ,spoil ,heaps4 ,the small circular areas represent waste from underground mines4 ,trigonocarpus1 commonly found as a cast of the internal part of a seed1 is a trimerously symmetrical body frequently associated with ,alethopteris4 ,pachytesta includes preserved structures and outer layers of a seed4 ,carpolithes is a catch-all 8genus0 functioning as a general term for seeds and seedlike forms whose plant group affinities cannot be determined4 ,,collecting ,,areas ,,for ,,pennsylvanian ,,plants ,northern ,illinois ,plant fossils can be found in almost any northern ,illinois area where ,pennsylvanian rocks are exposed 7see back cover71 but in some places they are much better preserved and more numerous than in others4 ,most of the well known collecting areas and a few of the lesser known ones are discussed below4 ,even though some of the localities were discovered many years ago1 they may indicate areas that are still favorable for collecting4 ,mazon ,creek ,area ,of all the fossils that have been found in ,illinois1 the most famous are the plant remains from the world-renowned ,mazon ,creek area in the northeastern part of the state4 ,in this area in ,grundy and ,will ,counties1 plant fossils are found in ironstone concretions in the lower part of the ,francis ,creek ,shale directly overlying the ,colchester 7,no4 #b7 ,coal4 ,fossils were discovered in outcrops along ,mazon ,creek more than a century ago and collections later were made from scores of conical spoil heaps at underground mines4 ,after coal stripping began in the #aibj's1 great numbers of specimens were collected4 ,in the stripping operations1 the concretion-bearing beds are commonly the last to be placed on the spoil heap4 ,weathering softens and removes the shales and leaves the nodules concentrated on the surface4 ,each season brings a new crop of concretions to the surface4 ,illustration3 ,plate #a ,calamites ,stigmaria ,lepidodendron ,calamites _/ ,fern ,stem ,caulopteris ,sigillaria ,megaphyton ,calamites ,artisia ,sigillaria sub-bark ,illustration3 uncaptioned ,the concretions generally are oval to elongate and range from less than an inch to a foot or more in maximum dimension4 ,only about one nodule in ten contains plant remains4 ,approximately #be to #cj species have been found in this region4 ,the productivity of the area was shown by ,george ,langford1 ,sr41 a well known midwestern fossil collector4 ,he and his son split about #bej thousand concretions during a #adj-;day period and obtained some #be thousand plant specimens4 ,fine specimens still can be collected in a few hours4 ,the plant collecting localities in ,will and ,grundy ,counties along ,mazon ,creek1 four to six miles southeast of the town of ,morris1 were the first to be well known4 ,ferns are especially abundant4 ,fossils of insects1 crustaceans1 worms1 and salamanders also have been found4 ,collecting conditions vary considerably from season to season1 and fossils are not as easily obtained there as from the strip-mine spoil heaps4 ,fossiliferous concretions may be found in a number of the strip mines in the area1 although probably most have come from the ,northern ,illinois ,coal ,corporation mine between the towns of ,braidwood and ,wilmington4 ,in earlier years good collections were made from the spoil heaps of underground mines4 ,especially notable are the mine dumps of the ,wilmington ,star ,no4 #g mine1 #b miles west of ,coal ,city1 and ,skinner ,no4 #b mine1 two miles northeast of ,braidwood4 ,in the vicinity of ,morris on the northwest edge of the ,mazon ,creek area1 fossil ferns have been found along the north side of the ,illinois ,river and in the banks of the ,illinois-,michigan ,canal4 ,about a mile north in an area of strip mining1 fossil-bearing concretions have been found in shale and irregular sandstone layers4 ,illustration3 uncaptioned ,illustration3 ,plate #b ,sphenophyllum ,lepidostrobophyllum ,annularia ,sphenophyllum #a ,lycopodites ,cordaites ,asterophyllites ,fossils in concretions also have been collected from a shaly limestone at the south end of the ,kankakee ,river bridge along the ,grundy and ,will county line4 ,bureau ,county ,some #dj miles downstream from ,morris on the ,illinois ,river1 plant fossils have been discovered in waste from the ,spring ,valley ,coal ,co4 mine #a4 ,they also are found in black shale below the ,la,salle ,limestone in a small gully in the southwest part of town1 but at neither place are they plentiful4 ,knox ,county ,a notable number and variety of well preserved plant fossils have been produced from a locality along ,court ,creek in ,east ,galesburg4 ,the ,rock ,island 7,no4 #a7 ,coal is mined in the area and the fossils appear to have come from the shale overlying it4 ,illustration3 uncaptioned ,fossil plants also have been found in shales above the ,colchester 7,no4 #b7 ,coal in the vicinity of ,de,long and with the ,herrin 7,no4 #f7 ,coal in mines southeast of ,victoria4 ,mercer and ,warren ,counties ,in northern ,warren and southern ,mercer ,counties the sandstone underlying the ,rock ,island 7,no4 #a7 ,coal is termed the 8,stigmarian0 sandstone because of numerous siliceous casts found in the bed4 ,many of the fossils have been collected from an old mine dump and from ravines along the ,edwards ,river northeast of ,aledo4 ,a number of representatives of ,sphenophyllum1 ,neuropteris1 and ,annularia have been collected from ironstone concretions occurring in shale that overlies the ,colchester 7,no4 #b7 ,coal about three miles southwest of ,alexis4 ,they were found in a gully about a third of a mile southeast of ,center ,school4 ,illustration3 uncaptioned ,illustration3 ,plate #c ,pecopteris #a ,ptychocarpus ,pecopteris ,mariopteris ,asterotheca ,spiropteris ,pecopteris ,in the same general area but about three miles due south of ,alexis1 fossil plants also may be found in the clay pits of the ,hydraulic-,press ,brick ,company and the ,northwestern ,clay ,manufacturing ,company4 ,fulton ,county ,although there are numerous isolated occurrences of plant fossils throughout the extensive strip mines and outcrops in ,fulton ,county1 no exceptionally good collecting localities have been discovered4 ,fern and cordaitean leaves have been collected along ,mill ,creek about a mile northeast of ,pleasantview where the fossils occur in the shale overlying the ,babylon ,coal4 ,in the same general area1 impressions and casts of ,stigmaria1 ,lepidodendron1 and ,cordaites have been found in the ,babylon ,sandstone4 ,illustration3 uncaptioned ,three miles north of ,pleasantview1 a quarter of a mile northwest of ,union ,school1 several species of leaves have been collected from the ,browning ,sandstone where it is exposed in a roadcut4 ,farther east1 there is a fairly good locality in the stream bluff of ,kerton ,creek about #c miles north and a quarter of a mile west of ,bluff ,city4 ,there the plants are found about #ah feet below a coal bed4 ,numerous fern impressions also are found in shale beds above the ,herrin 7,no4 #f7 ,coal along the ,middle ,branch of ,copperas ,creek1 six miles west of ,glasford4 ,other specimens may be found in these beds elsewhere in the area4 ,mc,donough ,county ,illustration3 uncaptioned ,in some of the small underground mines near ,colchester1 the shale overlying the ,colchester 7,no4 #b7 ,coal contains ironstone concretions similar to those from northeastern ,illinois4 ,more than #ej species of plant fossils have been reported1 but they were collected many years ago from spoil heaps at the mines4 ,beds of the same age crop out widely in other localities in western ,illinois and may contain plant fossils4 ,illustration3 ,plate #d ,sphenopteris ,linopteris ,neuropteris ,odontopteris ,cycopteris ,alethopteris ,alethopteris ,odontopteris ,alethopteris ,vermilion ,county ,in outcrops about three miles below ,georgetown on the ,little ,vermilion ,river1 a number of fossil plant species and one insect species have been collected from shales overlying the ,herrin 7,no4 #f7 ,coal1 locally called the ,grape ,creek ,coal4 ,the fossils occur in concretions much like those from ,mazon ,creek4 ,an occasional stem replacement or impression is found in the concretionary shale above the ,no4 #g ,coal in the strip mine area west of ,hillery4 ,in fact1 isolated fragmentary plant specimens are fairly common in the ,danville mining area1 but no especially productive localities have come to light4 ,other ,northern ,illinois ,localities ,in addition to the counties listed above1 a number of others have produced plant fossils4 ,for example1 there are records of plant fossils found southeast of ,franklin in ,morgan ,county1 at ,neelys in ,peoria ,county1 and at a number of places in the southern and western parts of ,rock ,island ,county4 ,local exploration is certain to turn up numerous other collecting places at present unknown4 ,illustration3 uncaptioned ,illustration3 ,plate #e ,codonotheca ,calamostachys #a ,pachytesta ,codonospermum ,cordaicorpus ,samaropsis ,whittleseya #a ,trigonocorpus ,holcospermum ,neuropterocarpus ,lepidostrobus ,carpolithes ,southern ,illinois ,illustration3 uncaptioned ,lawrence ,county ,near the ,lawrence-,richland county line1 not far from the towns of ,berryville and ,calhoun1 there is an area rich in the fossil petrifactions called 8coal balls0 in which cellular structures of stems and roots generally are well preserved4 ,saline1 ,pope1 and ,johnson ,counties ,saline ,county has more recorded plant fossil localities than any other southern ,illinois county4 ,fossil plant collecting localities are isolated but numerous in the area southwest of ,harrisburg4 ,mine dumps1 such as in the area five or six miles northwest of ,eddyville1 and many outcrops are available throughout the region4 ,the fossils probably are associated with the ,murphysboro1 ,delwood1 ,willis1 ,reynoldsburg1 and ,battery ,rock ,coals4 ,one especially good collecting area is on the south tributary of the ,east ,branch ,cedar ,creek about #f miles south of ,stonefort4 ,the fossils are found in six feet of shale overlying the ,battery ,rock ,coal horizon4 ,perry and ,jackson ,counties ,near ,du,quoin and ,murphysboro1 a variety of well preserved plant fossils has been collected from shales overlying both the ,herrin 7,no4 #f7 ,coal and the ,murphysboro ,coal4 ,nearly all have come from shaft mines that are not easily accessible to the collector4 ,one currently good outcrop locality for collecting plant fossils from the shale above the ,murphysboro ,coal is just southeast of ,murphysboro4 ,other ,southern ,illinois ,localities ,other collecting localities have been recorded west of ,mc,leansboro in ,hamilton ,county1 northwest of ,mt4 ,vernon in ,jefferson ,county1 near ,grayville in ,white ,county1 and in the ,friendsville area of ,wabash ,county4 ,there is no doubt that careful search will turn up many more4 ,almost anywhere in the large coal producing areas of southern ,illinois plant fossils can be found either in spoil heaps or in outcrops along stream1 road1 and railroad cuts4 ,the thick ,pennsylvanian sandstones that crop out in a belt extending through ,gallatin1 ,saline1 ,williamson1 and ,jackson ,counties generally contain compressions or replacements of trunks or other woody plant parts4 ,,suggestions ,,for ,,collecting ,,pennsylvanian ,,plants ,where to ,look for ,plant ,fossils ,pennsylvanian plants are most commonly found in shales directly overlying coal beds4 ,the shales are believed to be of nonmarine origin like the coals and may contain fossils either in ironstone concretions or on the bedding planes4 ,the shale layers as well as the concretions should be examined4 ,where the bed directly overlying the coal consists of black slaty shale or limestone containing marine fossils1 plant remains are rarely abundant or well preserved4 ,beneath the coals there generally is an underclay that is interpreted as the material in which the coal forest grew4 ,the underclay is in turn underlain by a sandstone1 and both are believed to be mostly nonmarine4 ,stigmarian axes and 8roots0 are common in many of the underclays4 ,plant fossils are common in the sandstone but generally are poorly preserved1 except in the local shaly lenses4 ,the best place to look for plant fossils in northern ,illinois1 except for the strip mines of the ,mazon ,creek area1 is probably in the spoil heaps from shaft mines4 ,the ,colchester 7,no4 #b7 ,coal has been extensively mined by the longwall method4 ,this technique causes the mine roof to settle when the coal is removed1 and the haulage ways are kept open by removing the roof shale4 ,inasmuch as the roof shale is the ,francis ,creek ,formation of the ,mazon ,creek area1 it may contain abundant plant-bearing concretions4 ,the shale is not everywhere fossiliferous1 however1 and in many spoil heaps fossils are rare4 ,illustration3 ,tools for ,collecting ,collecting ,equipment ,the collector of plant fossils should have the following tools and equipment3 ,hammer--a bricklayer's hammer will work well4 ,one or two chisels1 preferably one large and one small4 ,knapsack or basket in which to carry specimens4 ,newspapers and a roll of tissue paper for protecting fragile specimens4 ,pencil and paper for labeling specimens and making notes about the collecting locality from which the fossils came4 ,much of the value of a particular fossil lies in knowing precisely where it was found and the layer of rock it came from4 ,rules of ,courtesy ,when entering a collecting area every collector should observe several rules carefully3 ,for your own protection get permission to enter and collect on any private property4 ,such action also will help to assure your welcome if you wish to come back again4 ,leave the gates exactly as you find them1 open or closed4 ,do not climb fences that may break or sag under your weight2 crawl under or go around4 ,don't litter1 even though far from any house or other buildings4 ,do not disturb the owner's equipment1 stock1 or planted areas4 ,handling ,specimens ,illustration3 uncaptioned ,the most successful way to split an ironstone concretion is to set it on edge1 long axis horizontal1 on any fairly large rock and strike the upper edge with the hammer4 ,if the concretion is one that developed around a fossil nucleus1 it generally will split along the plane of weakness1 revealing the fossil4 ,sometimes one side of the concretion will break off in the middle1 in which case the remainder should be tapped firmly but gently on the upper edge until the fossil is completely uncovered4 ,pieces of the broken half should be glued together neatly with waterproof cement so that the entire specimen can be retained4 ,fossils embedded in shale may be recovered by the same method or by repeatedly tapping a chisel inserted along the bedding plane4 ,if the fossil is exposed1 the matrix can be chiseled away by slow1 painstaking effort4 ,the usual method of wrapping plant-bearing nodules is to place the end of a sheet of newspaper between the two halves of the nodule1 fold the paper over the nodule1 and roll it up in the sheet4 ,illustration3 ,how to ,wrap a ,fossiliferous ,concretion ,when several localities are visited in one collecting trip1 the fossils from each should be kept separate2 cloth bags are convenient for this purpose4 ,notes about the locality should be put in the same bag as fossils from that locality so that there is no possibility of confusion4 ,some fossils are so fragile or porous that they should be covered with a hardening protective coat of crude gum arabic solution4 7,refined gum arabic will not serve47 ,this may be applied with a fine brush in successive layers1 or sturdier fossils may be dipped in it4 ,when a fossil is so delicate that the surface tension of the gum arabic solution causes the fossil to 8spread10 celluloid 7not plastic7 dissolved in acetone should be substituted4 ,before this solution is used1 the specimen must be completely dry or the coating will become cloudy or opaque4 ,if the specimen is pyritized1 it should be sprayed with lacquer or shellac to prevent disintegration4 ,if these protective sprays are used they must be applied to dry specimens during dry weather or the coating will remain sticky4 ,illustration3 uncaptioned ,,references ,,an ,,introduction ,,to ,,paleobotany4 ,c4 ,a4 ,arnold4 ,mc,graw-,hill ,book ,co41 ,new ,york1 #aidg1 #dcc p4 ,,grundy ,,and ,,will ,,counties4 ,frank ,h4 ,bradley4 ,in ,worthen et al41 ,geology and ,paleontology1 ,geological ,survey of ,illinois1 vol4 ,,iv1 #ahgj1 p4 #aij-bbe4 ,,palmlike ,,plants ,,from ,,the ,,dolores ,,formation 7,,triassic71 ,,southwestern ,,colorado4 ,roland ,w4 ,brown4 ,united ,states ,geological ,survey ,professional ,paper #bgd-;,h1 #aief1 p4 #bje-bji4 ,,carboniferous ,,insects ,,from ,,the ,,vicinity ,,of ,,mazon ,,creek1 ,,illinois4 ,f4 ,m4 ,carpenter4 ,illinois ,state ,museum ,scientific ,paper #c1 pt4 #a1 #aidc1 p4 #g-bj4 ,,the ,,living ,,cycads4 ,c4 ,j4 ,chamberlain4 ,university of ,chicago ,press1 ,chicago1 #aiai1 #agb p4 ,,guide ,,for ,,beginning ,,fossil ,,hunters4 ,charles ,collinson4 ,illinois ,state ,geological ,survey ,educational ,series #d1 #aief1 #cf p4 7,revised #aiei1 #dj p47 ,,historical ,,geology4 ,carl ,o4 ,dunbar4 ,john ,wiley ,sons1 ,inc41 ,new ,york1 #aidi1 #egf p4 ,,college ,,botany4 ,harry ,j4 ,fuller and ,oswald ,tippo4 ,henry ,holt ,co41 ,new ,york1 #aied1 #iic p4 ,,handbuch ,,der ,,pal,,obotanik1 ,,bd4 #a3 ,,thallophyta1 ,,bryophyta1 ,,pteridophyta4 ,max ,hirmer4 ,r4 ,oldenbourg1 ,munich and ,berlin1 #aibg1 #gjh p4 ,,some ,,fossil ,,plant ,,types ,,of ,,illinois4 ,raymond ,e4 ,janssen4 ,illinois ,state ,museum ,scientific ,paper #a1 #aidj1 #abd p4 ,,leaves ,,and ,,stems ,,of ,,fossil ,,forests4 ,raymond ,e4 ,janssen4 ,illinois ,state ,museum ,popular ,science ,series2 v4 #a1 #aieg1 #aij p4 ,,the ,,mazon ,,creek ,,eurypterid3 ,a ,,revision ,,of ,,the ,,genus ,,lepidoderma4 ,erik ,n4 ,kjellesvig-,waering4 ,illinois ,state ,museum ,scientific ,paper #c1 no4 #d1 #aidh1 p4 #c-df4 ,,plants ,,of ,,the ,,past4 ,f4 ,h4 ,knowlton4 ,princeton ,university ,press1 ,princeton1 ,n4 ,j41 #aibg1 #bge p4 ,,the ,,wilmington ,,coal ,,flora ,,from ,a ,,pennsylvanian ,,deposit ,,in ,,will ,,county1 ,,illinois4 ,george ,langford4 ,esconi ,associates1 ,downers ,grove1 ,ill41 #aieh1 #cfj p4 ,,the ,,mazon ,,creek1 ,,illinois1 ,,shales ,,and ,,their ,,amphibian ,,fauna4 ,r4 ,l4 ,moodie4 ,american ,journal of ,science1 #dth ,series1 v4 #cd1 #aiab1 p4 #bgg-bhe4 ,,introduction ,,to ,,historical ,,geology4 ,raymond ,c4 ,moore4 ,mc,graw-,hill ,book ,co41 ,inc41 ,new ,york1 #aieh1 #fef p4 ,,pennsylvanian ,,flora ,,of ,,northern ,,illinois4 ,a4 ,c4 ,no4 ,illinois ,state ,geological ,survey ,bulletin #eb1 #aibe1 #aac p4 ,,pennsylvanian ,,invertebrates ,,of ,,the ,,mazon ,,creek ,,area1 ,,illinois4 ,eugene ,s4 ,richardson1 ,jr4 ,fieldiana3 ,geology1 v4 #ab1 #aief1 p4 #a-gf4 ,,report ,,on ,,the ,,carr ,,and ,,daniels ,,collections ,,of ,,fossil ,,plants ,,from ,,mazon ,,creek4 ,wilson ,n4 ,stewart4 ,illinois ,academy of ,science ,transactions1 v4 #dc1 #aiej1 p4 #da-de4 ,a ,,recently ,,discovered ,,phlegethontia ,,from ,,illinois4 ,w4 ,d4 ,turnbull and ,priscilla ,f4 ,turnbull4 ,fieldiana3 ,zoology1 v4 #cg1 #aiee1 p4 #ebc-ece4 ,illustration3 uncaptioned ,,educational ,,extension ,,program ,the ,educational ,extension ,section of the ,illinois ,state ,geological ,survey reaches the public through a number of channels1 including nontechnical publications1 rock and mineral collections for ,illinois schools and educational groups1 lectures1 exhibits1 correspondence involving identification of rocks and minerals1 news items for the press1 and field trips4 ,during each year six field trips are given1 in widely separated parts of the state1 for teachers1 students1 and laymen4 ,the general program is especially designed to assist in teaching geological sciences and to help make ,illinois citizens aware of the state's great mineral wealth4 ,illinois ,state ,geological ,survey ,urbana1 ,illinois ,illustration3 ,,illinois1 ,land of ,lincoln ,illustration3 ,,pennsylvanian ,,outcrop ,,area ,morris ,braidwood ,peoria ,colchester ,danville ,springfield ,duquoin ,murphysboro ,harrisburg ,marion ,illinois ,state ,geological ,survey ,educational ,series #f ,transcriber's ,notes --,silently corrected a few typos4 --,retained publication information from the printed edition3 this e,book is public-domain in the country of publication4 --,in the text versions only1 text in italics is delimited by underscores4