680 Palaeontologie. — Algae. 



genus Bvachyphyllum ; particularly from those examples from the 

 American Cretaceous described b}^ himself and Dr. Hollick, with 

 a view to showing that the Japanese fossil described under the name 

 Yesonia by Stopes and Fujii is a member of the same genus. The 

 author also concludes that the Japanese plant Cryptomeriopsis is a 

 Geinitsia. The evidence from which this conclusion is deduced is 

 irom the vegetative parts of stem and foliage, the fructifications not 

 being available as evidence The author concludes that there was 

 "a similar and characteristic Coniferous flora" in cretaceous times 

 in regions so widely separated as Southern New England and 

 Northern Japan. M. C. Stopes. 



Maslen, A.. T., The Structure of Mesoxvlon Sutcliffii (Scott). 

 (Ann. Bot. XXV. p. 381—414. pls. 33—36. 1911.) 



The specimen had already been shortly described under the 

 name Povoxylon Sutcliffii by Dr. Scott, but the present author gives 

 a complete account of the stem, and part of the leaf anatomy. The 

 name Mesoxvlon is given in order to express the intermediate Posi- 

 tion of the genus between Povoxylon and Covdaites. The description 

 of all the tissues is very complete and detailed, and shows that the 

 species has features by which it both resembles, and differs from, 

 Cordaites and Povoxylon. It resembles Povoxylon in having centri- 

 petal xylem in the leaf-trace bundles in the perimedullary position 

 as well as in those passing out to the leaves; in the paired leaf- 

 trace bundles remaining separate for several internodes; in the 

 persistently coilateral leaf-traces; in rows of bordered pits on the 

 radial walls of the secondary xylem; in the Spiral arrangement of 

 the leaves; and in the numerous axillary buds. It differs from Povo- 

 xylon in its discoid pith, in having all elements of the leaf-trace 

 spiral or scalariform; in the relatively denser secondary wood, in 

 the divisions of the leaf-trace bundles in the pericycle and cortex; 

 and in the crowding of the leaves on the stem. The numerous points 

 of resemblance between Mesoxylon Sutcliffii are generally those in 

 which it differs from Povoxylon. The most important difference be- 

 tween Mesoxylon and Covdaites is the centripetal wood surroun- 

 ding the pith in Mesoxylon, whereas the wood of Covdaites is descri- 

 bed as being entirely centrifugal. 



Mesoxylon and other ancient Cordaitean stems indicate the 

 course of the extinction of the centripetal wood in the gymnosper- 

 mic stock. It is suggested by the author that many of the familiär 

 "Cordaitean" leaves in the English Coal Measures may really belong 

 to the genus Mesoxylon. M. C. Stopes. 



Cottoi, A. D., Marine Algae from North of New Zealand 

 and the Kermadecs. (Kew Bull. Mise. Inform. N°. 6. p. 356— 

 364. 1912.) 



The author gives lists of marine algae collected by Miss M. E. 

 Smith at Little Barrier Island off New Zealand, and at 

 the Kermadecs. Four new genera are added to the New Zea- 

 land flora by Little Barrier collection, namely Gymnosovus, 

 Taonia, Galaxauva and Liagova. Nemastoma Fevedayae is also a 

 new record. 



Twelve species are given from the Kermadecs, several of 

 which are additional to the known flora of the islands. The most 



