34 UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY— TERTIARY FLORA. 



and of little importance, I have generally omitted describing them. The few 

 species of Cryptogamous described and figured in this memoir are the only 

 ones which seemed distinctly referable to plants, and they are published in 

 order, especially, to show the existence of this class of vegetables in the Lower 

 Tertiary measures of this continent. 



SPHERLA., Haller. 



Splieria lapidea, Leaqz. 



Plate I, Fig. 3 . 



Spheria Japidea, Lesqx., Annual Report, 1872, p. 373.* 



Perithecia (receptacles) round, highly convex, one to two millimetres broad, growing in lineal 

 series from under the bark, and piercing it before opening ; borders irregularly lacerated ; substance 

 membranaceous or coriaceous, whitish. 



This species is of subcortical growth, upon a petrified fragment of wood, 

 which has part of the bark preserved. The few perithe^cia under the bark 

 of the specimen in a are like small warts whose surface is rough and opaque. 

 Just at the borders of the bark, in b, the receptacles have perforated it in 

 irregular circles with lacerated borders; and still lower, in c, the intumescence 

 of the bark produced by the growth of the perithecium is seen prominent 

 and smooth, the epidermis being still entire, or not yet pierced through by 

 the plant. 



Habitat. — Upon a fragment of wood, Raton Mountains, New Mexico. 



Splieria myricse, Lesqz. 

 Plate I, Fig. 4. 

 Spheria myncce, Lesqx., Annual Report, 1872, p. 390. 



Perithecia punctiform, minute, either sparse-or in oircle, forming roand spots. 



The receptacles of this species are punctiform, very small, sometimes 

 irregularly scattered, more generally disposed in circles, forming rings one 

 millimeter in diameter, the centre of which is clear and of a light color. It 

 resembles Xylomites varius, Heer (Flor. Tert. Helv., plate i, fig. 9), but in 

 our plant the punctate form of the perithecia is distinctly recognized with 

 the glass. 



Habitat. — Upon leaves of Afyrica Torreyi found at Black Butte, Wyo- 

 ming, and of M. nigricans, from specimens of Green River Station (^Dr. F. 

 V. Hayden). 



* The numerous quotations of the Annual Reports of Dr. F. V. Hayden's Geological Survey of the 

 Territories are hereafter indicated as above. The dates indicate the years of publication of the Reports. 



