Secretinite: A proposed new maceral of the inertinite maceral group

The new maceral secritinite (name derived from the word ‘secretory’) is proposed for subcircular, ovoid, crescent-shaped or oblong, commonly round on one or more sides, noncellular, highly reflective components of the inertinite maceral group. This maceral of secretory origin, known from many bituminous coals throughout the world, has been confused with cellular, opaque fungal masses of high reflectance. It is suggested that these fungal masses be assigned to the previously proposed maceral funginite of the inertinite maceral group. The maceral term ‘sclerotinite’ and maceral-varietal terms ‘fungo-sclerotinite’ and ‘resinosclerotinite’ should be abandoned because they confuse the natural botanical relations and because they are unnecessary if the proposed maceral names, secretinite and funginite, are accepted. The maceral-varietal terms secreto-macrinite and secreto-inertodetrinite are proposed for angular to irregular constituents whose properties are physically gradational from secretinite into the macerals macrinite and inertodetrinite.