BY K. ETHEKIDGE, JUN. 239 



devoid of net-veuation is of small consequence, for they are appar- 

 ently carbonised, with all trace of the venation lost, a by no means 

 uncommon condition in these ferns. Notwithstanding these dis- 

 crepancies, that the clump of leaves terminating our specimen are 

 those of Glossopteris as ordinarily understood, we do not anticipate 

 any impartial critic will attempt to deny, the combined form and 

 characters of the mid-rib and venation being sufficient. As to 

 the form of the leaves, they belong to the lanceolate division of 

 the genus, as opposed to the spathulate, and oblong-elliptical 

 sections, and practically resemble in outline those of G. linearis, 

 IMcCoy,* or G. Clarkei, Feist, f The mid-rib is glossopteroid in the 

 strictest sense of the word, extending quite to the apex of each 

 leaf ; whilst the venation, although differing, so far as we have 

 been able to make it out, from that of G. linearis, by the simple 

 nature of the secondary veins, when first issuing from the mid-rib, 

 is obviously like that of G. Clarkei. 



Touching the caudex, little can be said from a comparative point 

 of view, for Dana's figure shows no structure hereabouts, whilst 

 McCoy's description being that of a stem detached from leaves 

 cannot carry any great weight with it, more particularly as he 

 uses the term rhizome, in this case a rather ambiguous one. A 

 rhizome, according to Balfour, | is "an underground stem which 

 creeps horizontally or obliquely under the surface of the soil, and 

 terminates in an aerial stem." Moore,§ on the other hand, says — 

 " The caudex, sometimes called the rhizome or root-stock, is often 

 erroneously regarded as the root. It is, however, a modified stem, 

 and assumes, in the case of ferns, two very distinct appearances, 

 sometimes lengthened and creeping, either beneath or upon the 

 surface of the earth, and sometimes short and tufted, forming 

 little more than a crown, whence the fronds issue." McCoy's 

 description, we imagine, refers to a creeping stem as defined by 



* Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 1847, xx. p. 151, t. 9, f. 5, oa. 



t Mem. Geol. Survey N.S. Wales, Pal. Series No. 3, 1890, p. 123, 1. 13, f. 4. 



X Manual of Botany, 3rd Edit. 1855, p. 692. 



§ Handbook of British Ferns, 1848, p. 3. 



