598 JUST 



dium in Western North America Based on the Recent Discovery of Metase- 

 quoia (1951) records the entire story. The confusion surrounding the fossils 

 now assignable to three genera dates back nearly one hundred years. The 

 convincingly documented story of this long and unbroken series of mistakes is 

 a remarkable example of the perpetuation of scientific errors. The meticulous 

 and unhesitating exposure of these errors, committed by a number of early 

 and living paleobotanists, including the author himself, provides reading at 



Fig. 4. Metasequoia glyptostroboides Hu and Cheng. — 1. Fruiting branch showing 

 leaves and young strobiles (X%). — 2. Two mature strobiles (X%). — 3. Male 

 flowering branch showing the arrangement of male flowers (X%). — 4. Male flower, 

 enlarged. — 5-6. Two scales of male flowers showing ventral and dorsal faces, re- 

 spectively, with stamens attached at the base (X8j. — 7. Seed (X2.5). {Adapted 

 from Bull. Fan Mem. Inst. Biol. Vol. 1, plate 1, p. 158, 1948.) 



