86 ON THE FOSSIL FLORA OF THE COAL DEPOSITS OF AUSTRALIA, 



solid diaphraginata with a thick margin which often leave impres- 

 sions in the form of a ring, and hence the name. The leaves 

 never form a sheath as in Equisetum, but unite at their base with 

 the ring. Only one species of this genus, which is a characteristic 

 coal fossil, has been described from Australia. 



Annularia australis (Feistmantel). — (Loc. cit. p. 154. Tab. VII. 

 — XXV. — Stem slender, articulate ; leaves verticillate up to ten 

 in number, spreading, incurved, membranaceous, lanceolately 

 spathulate, with a persistent median nerve, 18 millim. long. 



This fossil, which is unique, was found at Greta (30 miles west 

 of Newcastle), in beds below the lower marine paleozoic beds. 

 The specimen was found on a slab with a leaf of Glossopteris 

 browniana, which shows the actual contemporaneity of that fossil 

 with such a truly paleozoic form as Annularia. The present 

 species somewhat resembles A. longi folia, Brongt., but the leaves 

 are not so long or stiff, have a thinner cuticle, farther apart from 

 one another, and are blunt at the end. 



Sphenophyllum, Brongniart. 



This genus is distinguished by its wedge-shaped, often divided 

 leaves, less numerous than Annularia and furnished with fine 

 forked veins ; grooves on the stem not alternating, aud the articu- 

 lations form an acute ridge which is so constant that they can 

 be identified even without leaves. Spikes narrow, long, and 

 cylindrical. Bracts numerous, curving down at first from the 

 rachis and then suddenly bent upwards at an acute angle in which 

 a single spore case is fixed. Thus while the general structure 

 is that of Equisetum the fructification closely approaches the Lyco- 

 pocls. Fossils characteristic of the coal period. 



A remnant of what appears to be a species of Sphenophyllum is 

 figured by Dr. Feistmantel, in the part of his work referred to. 

 PL ii, fig 1 (p. 73). There is but one whorl of five, broadly 

 cuneiform, finely nerved, split leaves, with a narrow stem, not 

 showing any very distinct sulcations. The ridges of the articula- 

 tions are not very marked. Altogether the specimen was so 

 insignificant that Dr. Feistmantel did not consider it sufficient to 

 name it. From Port Stephens (Stroud 1) 



