Balanophyllia ponderosa Vaughan, 1900

Baron-Szabo, Rosemarie C., 2008, Dendrophylliina, Caryophylliina, Fungiina, Microsolenina, and Stylinina, Zootaxa 1952, pp. 1-244 : 44

Balanophyllia ponderosa Vaughan, 1900

Pl. 3, figs 3a, b

v*1900 Balanophyllia ponderosa sp. nov.: Vaughan, p. 173, pl. 20, figs 1–2.

parsv1935 Balanophyllia ponderosa var. texana new variety: Vaughan & Popenoe, p. 341, pl. 4, figs 6–10, non fig. 11. v1938 Balanophyllia sp. : Traub, p. 38, pl. 1, fig. 5, text-fig. 2.

v1967 Balanophyllia traubi nov. spec.: Kühn & Traub, p. 17, pl. 2, fig. 3.

2001 Balanophyllia (E.) ponderosa Vaughan, 1900 : Cairns, p. 18.

2001 Balanophyllia (E.) ponderosa var. texana Vaughan and Popenoe, 1935 : Cairns, p. 18.

Dimensions. d (min)= 9–20 mm; d (max)= 10–24 mm; d (min)/d (max)=0.71–0.9; s=120 up to around 160 in the larger specimens; h= 12–45 mm.

Description. Trochoid to subturbinate, subpatellate during some ontogenetical stages; circular in outline in juvenile specimens, elliptical in outline in later adult stages; septa thin, numerous, arranged in 5 cycles in 6 systems, with the beginning of a sixth cycle in late adult stages; in corallum of 9–10 mm in diameter about 80 septa present, in corallite diameter of around 18 mm the fifth septal cycle complete; columella often large, spongy or net-like; synapticulae very abundant peripherally, forming a dense vesicular wall.

Type locality of species. Paleocene of the USA (Alabama, Midwayan ) .

Distribution. Paleocene of Austria and the USA (Alabama and Texas).