Fossil Floras of Cape Colony. 35 



may be indicated by the converging upwards of the transverse lines 

 on the surface of the stem." 



Since the pubhcation of my paper in which the genus Benstedtia 

 was suggested, Professor Fliche, of Nancy, has described some casts 

 of stems from the Lower Cretaceous of France under the name 

 Coniferocaulon.-'- The fossils are, I believe, identical with those 

 referred to Benstedtia. Professor Fliche draws attention to the 

 resemblance as regards surface features to stems of Araucaria of the 

 section CohjmbcBa, but does not suggest a comparison with Zamia, 

 Without anatomical evidence it is impossible to say whether the 

 fossil stems are cycadean or coniferous, but the resemblance to 

 Zaviia is at least as striking as their similarity to Araucaria, and 

 in case of doubt a non-committed term such as Benstedtia is 

 preferable. 



Benstedtia sp. 



(Cf. Coniferocaulon colymhcaformc Fliche.) 



Plate v., fig. 2. 



Text-figure 5. 



The Uitenhage specimens referred to this genus are very similar^ 

 to those previously figured from Maidstone t and from the Sussex 

 coast. _| They include partially flattened cyhndrical casts, with 

 occasional branch-scars, and portions of much broader stems like 

 that represented in fig. 2, pi. v. 



The collection of Uitenhage plants in the Museum of the 

 Geological Society contains a few imperfect specimens like that 

 shown in fig. 2, pi. v., which Tate identified as probably cycadean. § 

 I agree with his determination, and, while admitting the absence of 

 proof, am disposed to consider the specimens as casts of some 

 cycadean plant. The frequent association of these stems with the 

 fronds of Zamites recta is a point in favour of the supposition that 

 they represent portions of the same plant ; possibly the large Cyca- 

 dolcpis scale-leaves may also have been borne on Benstedtia stems. 

 This is, however, merely a suggestion, in support of w^hich I am 

 unable to furnish anything of the nature of proof. 



The stem casts figured by Fliche || from Lower Cretaceous rocks 

 of France (La Haute-Marne) as Coniferocaulon colymheceforme 



* Fliche (00). f Seward (90), pi. xiv. + Seward (95), pi. xii. 



§ Tate (67), p. 147. || Fliche (GO), fig. 1-3. 



