154 Chapman, Geological History oj Australian Plants. rv^"^'xxxV 



carpa, Brachyphylhmi crassum, Taxites planus, and Phoenicopsis 

 elongatus. 



It is beyond the limits of a short summary Hke the present 

 to give an adequate idea of the richness of the Upper Jurassic 

 flora in Australia. We may, however, point out the chief 

 features noticed in our upward survey of rocks of the Jurassic 

 period. The precocious members of the Jurassic flora found 

 in the Carbopermian epoch, as Brachyphyllum, Baiera, Ginkgo, 

 Cladophlehis, and Tceniopteris, reach their maximum in the 

 Upper Jurassic of Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales, 

 and Tasmania. It is somewhat puzzling to find Stenopteris, 

 Phcenicopsis, and Thinnfeldia, genera with a tendency to typify 

 Lower Mesozoic beds elsewhere, commingled with later forms, 

 as Coniopteris, the Upper Jurassic types of Sphenopteris, and 

 Cladophlehis (related to our living Royal Fern, Todea). Of 

 the latter genus I have identified C. indica, a Rajmahal species, 

 from Bellarine, near Geelong. If we regard the Rajmahal 

 beds as Liassic, one portion of our flora from the Victorian 

 Coal Measures points to a Lower Mesozoic horizon, whilst the 

 other has affinities towards the Oolitic of Europe. Only a full 

 and detailed study of our several Mesozoic floras will help to 

 clear up this seeming stratigraphical discrepancy. 



Cretaceous. 



The Cretaceous palaeobotahical record for Australia was, 

 until quite recently, a very meagre one, the plant remains 

 recorded being as follows : — 



AlgcB. — Remains of Diatomaceae {Coscino discus, &c.) have 

 been noted by Messrs. Dun, Rands, and David from limestone 

 at Maranoa, Queensland, belonging to the Rolling Downs 

 formation. Also Coccoliths washed from the Upper Chalk of 

 Gingin, Western Australia, have been recorded by the writer. 



An Upper Cretaceous fern, Didymosorus ? gleichenoides, 

 was described by R. Etheridge, jun., from the Desert Sand- 

 stone formation at the Croydon goldfields. The species to 

 which this fern is provisionally referred is an Indian (Rajmahal) 

 form, of Liassic age. 



Blocks of driftwood are found embedded in the Rolling 

 Downs Limestone of Longreach, Queensland, and some of these 

 have been sent to Dr. M. Stopes, of the British Museum, for determ- 

 ination. They are probably either coniferous or cycadaceous. 



The record of a Glossopteris from the Desert Sandstone of 

 Queensland was long regarded with suspicion. One of the 

 specimens, collected by Norman Taylor, came from the table- 

 land south of the Mitchell River ; the other, by W. H. Rands, 

 from Bctts's Creek, near Cape goldfield. This mystery has 

 lately been cleared up by J. H. Reid, of the Queensland Geo- 



