New records of Pennsylvanian plants, in situ and dispersed cuticles from the Kladno-Rakovnik Basin, Radnice Member, Czech Republic

New collection from the spoil heap of the Luzna mine in Luzna near Rakovnik contains about 23 species of lycopsids, sphenopsids, ferns, pteridosperms, progymnosperms and cordaitaleans. The exploited coal seam is called the Upper Radnice Coal seam and belonged to the Radnice Member, Kladno Formation of the upper Duckmantian Substage (lower Moscovian Stage). Plant remains were discovered in tuffaceous partings (so called Velka opuka) and roof shales (here called Mydlaky). As roof shales are friable, only a few fossils were found, e.g., Lepidodendron aculeatum STERN-BERG and Calamites cf. cistii BRONGNIART that are considered here as autochthonous or parauto-chthonous. Tuffaceous partings (Velka opuka) yielded a diversified assemblage, including large fragments including for instance progymnosperms (Noeggerathia foliosa STERNBERG) and pteridosperms (Sphenopteris pulcherrima CREPIN), in some layers also including allochthonous small fragments of undeterminable plant debris and pinnule fragments of medullosalean pteridosperms e.g. Laveine-opteris tenuifolia (STERNBERG) CLEAL, SHUTE et ZODROW and other species. Noeggerathia foliosa STERNBERG is the dominant species in this locality. Cuticles obtained from coal can be classified into several groups. Most of the fragments belong probably to the sporangium wall of the subarborescent lycopsid Omphalophloios feistmantehi (NEMEJC) BEK et al. Other cuticles correspond to leaf cushions of arborescent lycopsids (Lepidodendron STERNBERG and Lepidophloios STERNBERG), and others lacking cell and stomatal structures are undeterminable. Pteridosperm or fern cuticles from rachises or midvein areas without stomata are difficult to classify. Also, bizarre multicellular bodies of uncertain affinity are present. Sphenopsid and cordaitalean cuticles were absent in the dispersed cuticular spectra.