184 JURASSIC PLANTS FROM BEXHILL, X.S.W., 



In Coniopteris hymenophylloides there is considerable variation 

 in the fertile pinnules, and the variety australica lias been insii 

 tuted for the Victorian examples in which the fertile pinnules 

 are practically of the same form as the sterile. Comparing this 

 variety with the European examples, Seward says: "The fertile 

 pinna? of the European fern are often characterised by a, con- 

 siderable reduction in the lamina, hut in this respect there is 

 not a little variation; in the Victorian specimens the fertile 

 pinnae are practically identical with the sterile, except in the 

 occurrence of the son at the tips of the lobes."* 



Tn describing the species from Jurassic rocks in New Zealand, 

 Arber has made an error in comparing the reduced type of fertile 

 pinnule instead of the normal type with the Victorian form, lie 

 says: "The more reduced type of fertile pinnule recalls the 

 specimens from the Jurassic of Victoria (Australia) described by 

 •Seward as Coniopteris hymenophylloides var. australica," f and 

 then quotes Seward's remarks that the fertile and sterile pinnules 

 in the Victorian form are practically identical. 



The specimens described here include both sterile and fertile 

 examples, and appear identical with specimens from the Jurassic 

 rocks in Victoria described by Seward. In the fertile specimens, 

 the preservation is not sufficiently good to show details in the 

 sori. 



This is, as far as T know, the first record of this species in the 

 Jurassic rocks of New South Wales. It has not vet been found 

 in Queensland, but is of fairly frequent occurrence in the Jurassic 

 of Victoria. In New Zealand it occurs in Lower and Middle 

 Jurassic rocks. The species appears to be confined to Jurassic 

 strata, but there are very similar forms in the Cretaceous. 



The only other species of Coniopteris so far recorded from the 

 Australian Mesozoic is C. delicatula from the Ipswich Series 

 (Triassic) in Queensland, but this is quite distinct from C. 

 hymenophylloides. In the Lower Cretaceous of Queensland 

 ( Burrum Series) there are numerous sterile examples referred to 



* Lor. cit. 

 I N. Z. Geol. .Survey, Pal. Bull. li. p. 33. 



