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



M. Brongniart states that the partial reticulation of the 

 secondary nerves, near the rachis, is the characteristic peculiarity 

 of this genus, but M. Schimper points out after Morris, that this 

 is not strictly correct. The anastomosis is continuous to the 

 margin, but is less frequent. I have remarked that in Sagenopteris 

 the case is different. The anastomosis is frequent only near the 

 costa, and subsequently the veins become nearly parallel, only 

 sending an occasional small branch to unite with one another. 

 Detached leaves of Sagenopteris are in many respects, like some 

 species of Glossopteris, and this may afford a means of readily 

 distinguishing them. 



The genus Glossopteris, as already mentioned, derives a special 

 interest in Australia, because it is so well represented, and because 

 it has been the subject of so much controversy. In India also it 

 has been a source of paleontological dispute, and this has led to a 

 thorough examination of its position at the hands of Dr. 

 Feistmantel.* I avail myself of many of his remarks in the 

 following summary. The genus has a very wide range in 

 geological time, from the Carboniferous to the Jurassic, with one 

 species in a tertiary formation. It is equally wide spread 

 horizontally. Besides being extensively found in Australia and 

 Tasmania, it occurs in Africa in the Karoo formation (Beaufort 

 and Stormberg beds), in strata of supposed Triassic age. In India, 

 it begins in the Talchir series (Trias), becomes more numerous in 

 the Karharbari, reaches its highest development in Damuda series, 

 goes on into the Panchet, and passes into the upper portion of the 

 Gondwana system (upper Lias and lower Jura), and occasional 

 solitary instances are found with a still higher position. In Russia, 

 a species is quoted from the " Klinische " sandstone, which is of 

 Cretaceous age.f In Asia Minor, there are coal beds near Eregli, 

 the ancient Heraclea Ponti, Bithynia, from which two 



* Foss. Flora, Gondwana Syst. vol. iii., Flora Damuda and Panchet 

 Divisions, p. 94. 



t Nouv. Mem. Soc. Imper. d. Naturalistes, Moscow, vol. xiii., p. 221, 

 pi. 19, fig. 1. 



