Data from: In situ spores of lycophytes from the Anisian Kühwiesenkopf/Monte Prà della Vacca flora in northern Italy

<p>Four species of lycophytes have been described from the palaeoflora of the Anisian Dont Formation at the K&uuml;hwiesenkopf/Monte Pr&agrave; della Vacca section in the Dolomites (northern Italy); <em>Isoetites brandneri</em>, <em>Lepacyclotes bechstaedtii</em> (both Iso&euml;taceae), <em>Selaginellites leonardii</em> (Selaginellaceae), and <em>Lycopia dezanchei</em> (order and family indet.). For <em>I. brandneri</em> and <em>S. leonardii</em>, <em>in situ</em> spores have also been reported. We have now restudied <em>in situ </em>material from all four species with a focus on the morphological variability of the spores. Microspores and a single megaspore from <em>L. dezanchei</em>, as well as possible poorly preserved microspores from <em>L. bechstaedtii</em> are described for the first time. The microspores from a paratype of <em>I. brandneri</em> proved to be highly variable and unusual, with an often bipolar cingulum/zona that resembles the sacci of bisaccate pollen. In addition, both micro- and megaspores from a specimen previously assigned to <em>I. brandneri</em> showed considerable differences to those from the paratype, suggesting a biologically distinct species.</p>