Fossil Floras of Cape Colony. 8? 



An inspection of the type-specimen of Carruthers' Brazilian leaf," 

 which he referred to Nceggerathia, convinces me that it should be 

 placed in Feistmantel's species Gangamopteris cycloptcroichs ; the 

 numerous and slightly spreading veins are undoubtedly connected 

 here and there by oblique anastomoses as in the typical Indian 

 leaves. 



The association in Brazil of Neuropteridium validum (= Odontop- 

 teris plantiana Carr.) and Gangamopterisj: (= Noaggeratliia ohovata 

 Carr.) is an interesting fact in view of the same association recorded 

 by Kurtz in the Argentine, and now known to occur in South Africa. 

 The specimens of Gangamopteris included in the recently acquired 

 collection from Vereeniging are inferior in preservation to the leaf 

 that I previously figured from the same locality (British Museum 

 Collection, V. 3615). 



Plate XIII. , fig. 5 (A). 



Part of a leaf showing numerous oblique and occasionally anasto- 

 mosing veins converging towards a central depression, where they 

 follow an approximately vertical course. The well-marked median 

 groove gives an exaggerated impression of a midrib, which in reality 

 is by no means as distinct as it is in a Glossoptcris frond. 



FILICALES OR CYCADOFILICES ? 



The genus NeurojJteridiuni has been as a matter of course assigned 

 to the ferns, but we must recognise the fact that the Indian and 

 Southern Hemisphere fronds have not as yet been found in a fertile 

 condition. Another point of importance is the resemblance as 

 regards vegetative characters between this genus and Neuropteris, 

 a fact which suggests the possibility that Neuropteridium , like 

 Neuropteris and Alethnpteris, may have been a plant in which 

 cycadean and filicinean characters were combined. 



Genus NEUROPTERIDIUM, Scbimper. 



Schimper suggested the name Neuropteridium as a subgenus of 

 Neuropteris in 1869 | for a type of frond from the Bunter of the 



* CaiTuthers (69), pi. vi., tig. 1. 



t See also Zeiller (95), pi. x. 



X Schimper (69), p. 447 : Schimper and Mou^^eot (44), pi. xxxvi. 



