Subfossil oospores of Characeae from two sites in the Ingleborough Region of West Yorkshire

Abstract

Subfossil oospores of Characeae from two Late-glacial sites, Sniddle Moss and Thieves' Moss, in the Ingleborough Region of West Yorkshire, were examined under light and scanning electron microscopes. An attempt was made to identify tentatively the characean species based principally on features of the oospore wall. Doubt attaches to one of the two species of Nitella recognized (N. flexilis, N. opaca?), one Chara species was attributed to the C. vulgaris complex, and other oospores belonging to the latter genus were placed in groupings based on oospore characters.