374 ME. AETHUE JOHN MASLEN ON THE 



If this figure (Williamson's fig. 57) be compared with the one showing a radial section 

 of Lepidostrohus oldhamius given by Binney *, or diagrammatically represented in my 

 PI. XXXVII. fig. 22, it will be seen that in the latter species the pedicels leave the main 

 axis nearly at right angles, whereas in L.foliaceus they form an oblique angle with it. 



The most characteristic feature, however, of this cone is seen in the free portions 

 (lamina?) of the sporophylls. The pedicel is narrow^ and it forms, at the periphery of the 

 cone, the usual somewhat peltate expansion. PI. XXXVIII. fig. 36 exhibits five of the 

 sporophylls and sporangia in nearly radial section, magnified about nine times. The 

 pedicel is seen at^. and the upwardly-directed lamina at la., while sp. are the sporangia, 

 each filled with small spores. As will be seen in Williamson's original figure, the lamina? 

 belonging to the upper sporophylls bend over so as to completely cover the apex of the cone. 

 On PI, XXXVIII. figs. 37 & 38 is shown the pedicel in transverse section. The xyleni 

 of the trace is sho\^'n at x., and this is surrounded by a thin-walled tissue which extends 

 upward in the usual manner into the cavity of the sporangium. A fairly ^AcU-defined 

 epidermal layer of thick-walled cells can be seen in fig. 37, while fig. 38 shows that in this 

 species the sporangium is supported on a distinct stalk (which is, of course, in reality a 

 longitudinal ridge passing along the lower surface of the sporangium) quite free from 

 the tissue of the pedicel itself, and having a bounding layer continuous with the wall of 

 the sporangium, sp.ic. A characteristic feature is the presence of two pads of scleren- 

 chyma, sc, consisting of elements with very thick walls, and serving as lateral supports 

 for the sporangium. 



In none of the slides examined (C.N. 1614, S. 1, S. 2, &c.) is any distinct evidence of 

 a parichnos space to be made out, but the sections are not sufficiently perfect to enable 

 me to definitely affirm its absence. 



The wall of the sporangium, sp.w., is quite of the ordinary type, and consists of a single 

 layer of cells. 



PI. XXXVIII. fig. 39 is from a photograph of a transverse section through the free 

 portion of a sporophyll belonging to this type. It consists of large-celled parenchyma 

 quite different from that of the other forms (compare PI. XXXVII. fig. IG), which passes, 

 as the periphery is approached, into a smaller-celled, thicker- walled protective zone. The 

 striking feature is the abundance of cells with very dark contents scattered quite 

 indiscriminately through the central parenchyma. Of course the nature of the original 

 contents of these cells cannot be made out, but probably tliey indicate a secretion of 

 some kind, and these cells may perhaps be described as " secretory sacs." The vascular 

 bundle is shown, the xylem, x., being apparently completely surrounded by thin- walled 

 tissue, probably indicating that the bundle was concentric. The section shows some 

 of the characteristic short tracheides (" barred cells") apparently quite free from tlie 

 xylem of the bundle. 



The following may be taken as a provisional diagnosis of the new species : — 



* ^Lepidostrohus and some allied Cones,' Palseontographical Society, 1871, pi. 7. fij?. 3. Figured as the cone of 

 Lepidadendron Harcourtii, L. & H. 



