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



cribed as Pecopteris alata, Brongt., and was subsequently placed 

 with Sphenopteris (alata) by Sternberg, and is at present quoted as 

 such. The European Carboniferous form to which Mr. Clarke 

 referred was at first described as Sph. alata, Brgt., and was later 

 quoted by Goppert as Hymenophyllites grandini, and now by 

 Schimper as Sphenopteris grandini, Goep. Now both Morris and 

 M'Coy who mention Sphenopteris alata mention it in Brongniart's 

 sense of Pecopteris alata, the Australian form, and not in the sense 

 of the original Sph. alata or the present S. grandini of the Carbon- 

 iferous. The latter (Biongniart, Hist. Veg. Foss. pi. 48, fig. 4) is 

 totally different from the Australian S. alata, Brongt. sp. (op. cit. 

 p. 127, p. 361), and it was with the latter I have compared the 

 upper portion of one Indian Sphenopteris polymorpha." 



Sphenopteris alata, var. exilis, Morris (loc. cit. p. 246.) Frond 

 somewhat triangular with a tri-pinnatifid base, margin of the 

 rachis alate, pinnules either contracted at the base or confluent, 

 decurrent, irregularly lobed, lobes entire or dentate, veins slender, 

 pinnate. Obs. — This interesting species appears more nearly 

 allied to Sphenopteris than Pecopteris, and is easily distinguished 

 by the slender and decurrent pinnules, the membranaceous or 

 alate membrane of the principal rachis, as observed in recent 

 species of Hymenophyllum. Associated with the last species and 

 Glossopteris browniana in a light-coloured shale from the Hawkes- 

 bury River. The museum of the Geological Society, London > 

 contains specimens of the two above species. 



Sphenopteris hastata, M'Coy, Ann. Nat. Hist. 1. cit. p. 149. Bi- 

 pinnate, pinnse long, acutely lanceolate with a broad alate 

 margin, pinnules elliptical, obscurely undulate, dentate, having 

 three obsolete lobes on each side, veins bi-pinnate, two branches 

 reaching each lobe of the margin. Obs. — The lengthened oval 

 form, slightly indented margin, and simple neuration of the 

 pinnules, fully distinguish this from any published species of the 

 genus. The average length of the pinna3 is about 1 J inch, width 

 4 lines, average length of the pinnules 3 lines. Not uncommon 

 in the shale of Mulubimba, M'Cov. 



