470 Mr. Brown on an undescrihed Fossil Fruit. 



dently waterworn, is marked with closely-approximated hexagonal areae, of 

 which the four lateral sides are nearly twice the length of the upper and 

 lower ; these hexagons, which are the waterworn terminations of the bracteae of 

 the Strobilus, becoming gradually smaller and less distinct towards the top. 



A transverse section of the Strobilus exhibits a central axis, from which 

 radii directly proceed, constantly thirteen in number, resembling, when perfect, 

 the spokes of a wheel, but several of them being always more or less incom- 

 plete. These radii alternate with an equal number of oblong bodies, also 

 radiating, of a lighter colour, and which are not directly connected with the 

 axis : beyond these twenty-six radiating bodies a double series of somewhat 

 rhomboidal areolae exist. These appearances not readily indicating the ac- 

 tual structure in the transverse, are satisfactorily explained by the vertical 

 section. 



From the vertical section it appears that the Strobilus is formed of a cen- 

 tral axis of small diameter compared with the parts proceeding from it, which 

 consist, — 



1. Of bracteae densely approximated and much imbricated: the lower half 

 of each of these stands at right angles to the axis, while the imbricating por- 

 tion, of about equal length with the lower, and forming an obtuse angle with 

 it, is gradually thickened upwards : these form the spokes and external rhom- 

 boidal arese of the transverse section. 



2. Of an equal number of oblong bodies of a lighter colour and more 

 transparent, each of which is adnate and connected by cellular tissue with 

 the upper surface of the supporting bractea. These bodies are sections of 

 Sporangia filled with innumerable microscopic sporules, originally connected 

 in threes (very rarely in fours), but ultimately separating, as shown in 

 Tab. XXIV. fig. G. 



From this triple composition or union of sporules, which differs from the 

 constant quadruple union in tribes of existing plants, namely Ophioglossece 

 and Lycopodiacece, which, from other points of structure, may be supposed 

 most nearly related to the fossil, I have called it Triplosporite, a name 

 which expresses its fossil state, the class or primary division to which it 

 belongs, and its supposed peculiarity of structure. 



The structure of the axis, which is well preserved in the specimen, di- 



