Palaeontologie. 575 



theca, and Diplotheca are all of a like nature with Cvossotheca, and 

 there remain, as evidences of the ferns, only members of the 

 Botryopterideae , a group very different from any existing Ferns. 

 and far out-numbered even at this period by the Pteridosperms. 



In the Upper Carboniferous rocks, many fructifications, such as 

 Renaultia, Urnatopteris , Sphyropteris from the Westphalian and 

 Lamarkian series, are probably the microsporangia oi Pteridospertneae , 

 a group of great importance at this period. In the Westphalian series , 

 however, there is evidence of true ferns e. g., Oligocarpia Kidstonia , 

 Asterotheca etc. , existing side by side with numerous Pteridospermeae , 

 though outnumbered by them. 



The Author concludes that the Cycadofilices , are undoubtedly 

 the oldest group of 'fern-like' plants of which we have fossil evidence , 

 and were descended from a common stock with the Marattiaceae. 

 The Leptosporangiate Ferns on the other band are derived from 

 the Botryopterideae not from the Cycadofilices , although these appear 

 to have considerably antedated them in time. 



Arber (Cambridge). 



Scott, D.H., The Fern-like seed-plants of the Carboniferous 

 flora. [Ueber die wichtigsten neueren Ergebnisse der 

 PhytopaläontologieJ. (Resultats sc. Congres Internat. Botanique, 

 Vienne. 1905. p. 279-296 with 17 text-figures.) 



A general account of the recent discoveries of the fructifications 

 of the Pteridospermeae. The Author begins with a discussion of the 

 Neitropterideae , their structure and fn.ictifications. Next , the structure 

 of Lyginodendron is illustrated, and an account of its seed Lagenostoma . 

 and the male organs {Crossotheca) is given in detail. The present 

 evidence is completed by reference to the seeds of Pecopteris Plticke- 

 iietij and Aneimites fertilis. 



The Author defines the Pteridospermeae provisionally as "plants 

 with the habit and with certain of the anatomical characters of 

 Ferns, bearing on fronds, only slightly differentiated from the vege- 

 tative foliage, seeds of a Cycadean type of structure." The relation- 

 ships of this group with the Cycadophyta on the one band, and the 

 Ferns on the other are next discussed. In some respects the Pteri- 

 dospermeae are shown to be the most primitive of the known seed 

 plants. The Cordaiteae, and the Palaeozoic Lycopods bearing seed- 

 like Organs, are compared with the Pteridospermeae ^ and the con- 

 clusion is reached that the flora of the Palaezoic period may be 

 justly described, not as Brongniart thought, the reign of Higher 

 Cryptogams but as the reign of Primitive Seedplants. 



Arber (Cambridge.) 



Scott, D. H., The structure of Lepidodendron obovatnm Sternb. 

 (Annais of Botany, Vol. XX. p. 317—319. 1906.) 

 This preliminary note is concerned with a specimen from the 

 Lower Coal Measures at Towneley, Lancashire, which shows both 

 the external characters and the internal structure of a stem; a rare 

 circumstance. Externally the specimen exhibits about 20 leaf bases, 

 which are not flattened, as is usually the case in ordinary casts. 

 but stand out in strong relief. The scar from which the leat had 

 fallen is plainly seen at the top of each cushion, and the cushion 

 itself has a well-marked median rib. On either side of the rib the 



