Fossil Floras of Cape Colony. 99 



with roots, of Glossoptcris ; a comparison may be suggested with the 

 figure of Vertebraria [Glossoptcris) published by Bunbury." 



5.— Stem. 

 On specimen xxi. occurs a flattened impression of a w^oody stem 

 55 cm, long and 4 cm. broad, showing a well-defined pear-shaped 

 branch- scar. In the absence of petrified woody tissue I am unable 

 to offer any opinion worthy of expression as to the affinity of the 

 fossil. 



III.— CONCLUSION. 



The plants from Worcester are unfortunately too few in number 

 and too fragmentary to enable one to make a definite statement as to 

 the age of the beds, but so far as the evidence goes it points to a close 

 resemblance of the flora with that which is more abundantly repre- 

 sented in the plants of the Vereeniging sandstones. I shall, therefore, 

 confine myself to the question of the age and correlation of the 

 Vereeniging species. It has been pointed out in the section of this 

 paper dealing with Bothrodcndron that the supposed occurrence of 

 European species of Lepidodendron, Calamites, and Pccopteris in 

 South African rocks is in all probability erroneous. 



The European Permian and Coal-Measure species Sigillaria brardi 

 Brongn. is represented by satisfactory specimens obtained from the 

 Vereeniging rocks, and we ax'e now able to add a second example of 

 the Lycopodiales to the list of South African plants, but there is 

 absolutely no proof that the Northern Hemisphere Permo-Carboni- 

 ferous flora existed in Africa south of the Zambesi in Portuguese 

 East Africa.! Without attempting a complete survey of the literature 

 dealing with South African plants, which there is good reason for 

 . assigning to a Palaeozoic horizon, w^e may briefly consider the general 

 facies of the vegetation of which remnants have been recorded. 

 Leaving out of account such • fragments as cannot be satisfactorily 

 determined, we may regard the following types as a representative 

 series of the older vegetation of the Transvaal, Cape Colony, and other 

 districts. Numerous specimens of Glossoptcris have recently been 

 obtained from Zululand and in Natal this genus and other Palgeozoic 

 plants are known to occur. Potonie has also recently described a few 

 forms from Portuguese and German East Africa, but the greater 

 number of the plants mentioned in the following list are from the 

 neighbourhood of Johannesburg, Vereeniging, and other localities in 

 the Transvaal. 



* Bunbury (Gl), pi. xi. t Zeiller (83). 



