Two uppermost Triassic (Rhaetian) coal beds (A-and B-bed; Bjuv Member, southern Sweden) deposited at the margin of the Danish Basin were investigated in order to interpret the peat-forming environments in a sequence stratigraphic context and to establish the peat-forming vegetations of the precursor mires. Peat formed close to the coastline and was governed by base-level (watertable) rise linked to relative sea-level rise, which is emphasized by rare occurrences of marine phytoplankton, Micrhystridium, Lunnomidinium scaniense and Rhaetogonyaulax rhaetica, in the B-bed. A maximum flooding surface (MFS7) between the coal beds A and B shows that peat accumulation occurred as a coastal response to the continued transgression of the Danish Basin that culminated with deposition of the coal-bearing Bjuv Member. The lower B-bed accumulated in a transgressive systems tract (TST) and the upper A-bed in a highstand systems tract (HST). The B-bed consists of coal and coaly mudstone intervals showing that peat formation repeatedly was outpaced by relative watertable rise. The huminite-rich coal intervals indicate peat formation under oxygen-deficient stagnant water conditions, where the peat accumulation rate balanced the watertable rise. Overall low TS values indicate a freshwater mire. The base of coal bed B marks the start of a relative decrease in creation of accommodation space, and the surface between the sediments and coal bed B represents a Terrestrialisation Surface (TeS). The palynofloral composition suggests that the initial mire was characterised by dipterid/dicksoniacean tree ferns and marattialean ground ferns, and few canopy trees dominated by cupressacean/taxodiacean wet-loving conifers with subordinate bennettitalean and caytonialean trees. The coal intervals in the B-bed represent Terrestrialisation situations characterised by a reduced ratio of accommodation rate/peat accumulation rate. The palynology of these intervals indicates establishment of canopy trees, primarily cupressacean/taxodiacean conifers accompanied by bennettitaleans and caytonialeans, with an understory of marattialean ground ferns and rarer tree ferns. Flooding Surfaces (FS) and Accommodation Reversal Surfaces (ARS) in the B-bed reflect changes in the rate of watertable rise. The coaly mudstone intervals represent Paludification situations with an upward increasing ratio of accommodation rate/peat accumulation rate. In general the palynology of the B-bed suggests a coal floral composition that was dominated by mid and upper canopy plants consisting of cuperessaceaen/taxodiaceaen trees, probably occupying areas with standing water, while ginkgos, cycads, Bennettiales, and Caytoniales and other seed ferns grew in less wet areas. Understory plants were less abundant, whereas a ground cover of ferns, mainly of the families Marattiales and Osmundales, as well as lycophytes may have been pronounced. The upper surface of the B-bed is a Give-up Transgressive Surface (GUTS) above which peat accumulation was replaced by siliciclastic deposition. The palynofloral composition suggests an open-mire dominated by ground ferns and probable tree ferns, with minor bennettitalean and caytonialean mid canopy trees, and with hardly any upper canopy trees. The A-bed is considerably richer in inertinite compared to the B-bed. The palynofloral and petrographic change correlates with an increase in fire activity across the Triassic Jurassic boundary and deforestation of the Early Jurassic mires. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.