Article: A system of group names for some Tertiary pollen

Analysis of the literature has shown that the use of form taxa to describe tricolpate and tricolporate pollen grains from the European Tertiary has little stratigraphic or botanical value. An alternative methodology for investigating Tertiary pollen involves two stages in the process of observation and description. One of these, the first phase, is dealt with in this paper, and involves assigning pollen to a group by means of a simply defined grid; this enables easy identification of all possible types. The second phase demands the use of sophisticated techniques for observation and comparison so as to establish details of botanical affinity and biostratigraphic correlation. The first-phase procedure is demonstrated by reference to pollen assemblages from three deposits in the western part of the British Isles.