5G4 MB. B. KIDSTON ON THE OUCUBBENCE OP 



General Remarks. 



The leaf-scars on the young branches are Lepi do dendroid in 

 form, but do not touch each other at their upper and lower 

 extremities, though tbey meet laterally. In the older condition 

 they become hexagonal, and appear to have had only one vascular 

 cicatricule. 



The leaf-scars differ from those of Sigillaria, not only in their 

 form, but in their apparently possessing only a single vascular 

 cicatricule. The branches also ramify more freely than do the 

 stems of Sigillaria, and in this respect they approach more 

 closely to Lepidodendron ; but from this last-mentioned genus, 

 the form of the leaf-scar, as also the shape of the leaf itself, 

 excludes Lycopodites Vanuxemi, Goppert, sp. 



In favour of placing Sigillaria Vanuxemi, Goppert, in Lycopo- 

 dites, Goldenberg, there is the form of the leaf, which is very 

 similar to that of several other species of the genus ; the free 

 dichotomous mode of ramification of the branches is also of the 

 same nature as that occurring in Lycopodites. 



It is true that none of the other species of this genus show 

 the pronounced hexagonal leaf-scars that occur on the older 

 stems of this plant ; but this character only appears on the older 

 branches, and is entirely absent from the younger ones, even 

 from those branchlets which are organically united to steins 

 showing the hexagonal markings. From these considerations, I 

 think I am justified in placing Sigillaria Vanuxemi, Goppert, 

 in Lycopodites, Goldenberg. 



Lycopodites Vanuxemi, Goppert, sp., must not, however, be 

 confused with Lycopodites Vanuxemi, Dawson, for which the 

 latter author subsequently created his genus Ptilopliyton*. 



Two distinct plants having at different times borne the same 

 name are calculated to produce confusion, but as the plant which 

 originally bore the name of Lycopodites Vanuxemi has been re- 

 moved to a new genus, and as I am unwilling to introduce a new 



* Synonymy of Ptilopiiyton Vanuxemi, Dawson. 



Ptilophyton Vanuxemi, Dawson, Foss. Plants of Devon, and Upper Silur. 

 Form, of Canada, part ii. p. 119 (1882). 



Lycopodites Vanuxemi, Dawson, Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. toI. xviii. p. 314, 

 pi. xvii. fig. 57; Dawson, Foss. Plants of Devon, and Upper Sil. Form, of 

 Canada, part i. p. 35 ; Lesquereux, Coal Flora of Pennsyl. p. 302 ; Hall, Report 

 on the Geol. of New York, p. 273, fig. 125 (1843) ; Vanuxem, Report, Geol. ol 

 New York, part iii. p. 175, fig. 46 (1842). 



