Permian sedimentary rocks of the Rio Bonito Formation, Parana Basin, in the Santa Catarina state, Brazil, contain three important coal seams, in a descending order: Barro Branco, Bonito Superior and Pre-Bonito Superior. Artinskian carbonaceous shale samples corresponding to the so called "Bonito coal" were sampled at the mine face of the coal bed of the Bonito I underground mine. These samples were analyzed in order to discuss their petrographical, geochemical, palynological, and paleobotanical characteristics. Palynological analyses demonstrated abundant and well-preserved palynomorphs showing a dominance of bisaccate pollen grains related to gymnospermic plants. Wood fragments preserved as coalified compression show the presence of lycophyta. Palynofacies on samples demonstrated good results for the recognition of preserved organic matter and changes in paleoenvironmental conditions along the sedimentary sequence. Palynofacies and palynological analyses indicate changes in paleoecological conditions that have favored the development of different plant communities during the depositional time span from a forested gymnosperm at the base to a lycophyte, arborescent plant dominated scenario at the top suggesting a shift to coastal environment. The microscopic maceral-group analyses reveal a predominance of liptinite and vitrinite over inertinite, while among microlithotypes, carbargilite is abundant. The joint occurrence of inertinite as a maceral in the carbonaceous rock and charcoal in associated shales suggests that the mire and near surroundings were regularly subject to wildfires. Mean random vitrinite reflectance (Rr) varies from 0.88 to 1.04%. The liptinite spectral fluorescence parameters obtained for samples show the lambda(max) values varying from 610 to 650 indicating equivalent vitrinite reflectance (Rr(eq)) values from 0.83 to 1.10%. These results show that the equivalent vitrinite reflectance (Rr(eq)) correlates well with the measured vitrinite reflectance (Rr). The "Bonito Coal" is a high-volatile bituminous coal according to the ISO, 11760: 2005 standard. Total organic carbon varies from 2.4 to 44.0 wt.% and sulfur is present in moderate to high contents. GC-MS analyses evidenced a predominance of even saturated hydrocarbons and the presence of alpha beta-hopanes and alpha beta beta-steranes. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.