Taxonomy and stratigraphic importance of the Carboniferous miospore genus Vestispora

•We grouped miospore genus Vestispora based on its morphology and parent plants.•The first Vestispora is from Brigantian and last records from late Kasimovian.•Eight groups of Vestispora were recognised.

The paper provides a review and division of the Carboniferous miospore genus Vestispora. Twenty-nine dispersed species and all in situ records of Vestispora are reviewed, and one new combination and six synonymies are proposed. It is possible to recognise eight groups based on morphological criteria, mainly varieties of perisporial sculpture. Geographic distribution and stratigraphic ranges are given for all 21 valid species. The earliest examples of Vestispora are from the Viséan (Brigantian-V. lucida) and the last occurrences are from the Stephanian B (late Kasimovian-V. fenestrata and V. cancellata). Most Vestispora species are stratigraphically important miospores, but generally only locally within a given basin or coalfield. Almost all species were produced by sphenophyllalean cones, whereas one in situ record of V. laevigata was described from a noeggerathialean plant of the genus Discinites.