Nomenclatural and taxonomic notes on the fossil pollen genus Sparganiaceaepollenites Thiergart 1937

The nomenclature and status of the fossil-genus Sparganiaceaepollenites Thiergart 1937 and several of its species are problematic. We confirm the status of the genus and provide an emended description for it to accommodate new characters that were recently described in some species. We note that (i) the name Sparganiaceaepollenites microreticulatus Grabowska and Ważyńska 2009 from the Miocene of Poland is illegitimate according to the rules of the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants, as a later homonym of Sparganiaceaepollenites microreticulatus Kar and Jain 1981 from the Miocene of India; (ii) the name Sparganiaceaepollenites reticulatus Samant et al. 2022 from the Maastrichtian of India is illegitimate as a later homonym of Sparganiaceaepollenites reticulatus Doktorowicz-Hrebnicka 1960 ex Krutzsch and Vanhoorne 1977 from the Miocene of Poland; and (iii) the name Sparganiaceaepollenites annulatus Thakre et al. 2024 from the Danian of India is illegitimate as a later homonym of Sparganiaceaepollenites annulatus De Benedetti 2023 from the Maastrichtian–Danian of Argentina. We propose the new names (i) Sparganiaceaepollenites oczkowicensis nom. nov. subst. pro Sparganiaceaepollenites microreticulatus Grabowska and Ważyńska; and (ii) Sparganiaceaepollenites intertrappeansis nom. nov. subst. pro S. reticulatus Samant et al. (an emended description is provided). Additionally, Sparganiaceaepollenites annulatus Thakre et al. is considered a heterotypic synonym of Sparganiaceaepollenites intertrappeansis nom. nov.