A FEEN FORMING A NEW GENUS — ETHERIDGE. 141 



both by Zeiller and Seward* ; by the latter in examples from the 

 Newcastle or Upper Coal Measures. These secondary fronds 

 present a scale-like appearance, with an upper convex surface, and 

 slightly spreading and anastomosing veins, but no mid-rib ; the 

 first two characters accord well with the appearance of the "scales" 

 in the present plant. Instances of other recent Ferns possessing 

 two kinds of simple fronds are given by Mr. Seward, in the paper 

 referred to below. 



No very satisfactory alliance amongst recent Ferns can be 

 mentioned. All I can do is, as suggested by Mr. Thomas White- 

 legge, to call attention to the shrub-like Oleandra neriiformis, Cav., 

 in which the fronds are simple-linear-lanceolate, as in our form, 

 subverticillate, and the short stipes articulated with erect frutes- 

 cent stems, t Except that the fronds here are spiral, and not 

 verticillate at all, there is otherwise a general resemblance between 

 the two. 0. neriiformis is said by the late Mr. John Smith, for- 

 merly of Kew, to be the "only representative of a shrub among 

 Ferns."! I believe that some Botanists do not recognise Oleandra 

 but merge it in Aspidium ; I am, however, content to speak of 

 the plant as referred to by ]\[r. Smith. 



I have been similarly unable to find any near relative of this 

 extraordinary little plant amongst extinct species. The venation 

 is to some extent Pecopteroid, as may be seen by a comparison 

 with the many excellent figures of Pecopteris species given by 

 Brongniart in his " Histoire," particularly P. aquilina, P. nervosa, 

 or P. cist%i.% 



There is a superficial resemblance in the form and venation of the 

 fronds to those of Marxaria, Zignoji ; but in the latter the frond is 

 pinnate, and the pinnules are described as digito-radiate. Indeed 

 it is the linear-lanceolate form of the pinnules in Marzaria paro- 

 liriiana, and their often radiate arrangement, that first strikes the 

 eye as resembling the fronds of the Australian fossil, especially 

 when the former are pressed from above downwards, in a similar 

 manner to some of those of the latter. The venation of the two 

 forms is almost identical. 



Mr. Seward has called my attention to the figures of a Taxo- 

 dinaceous Conifer, Cyclopitys nordenskioldi, Schml.,1 from the 

 Russian Permian. In a letter recently received, Mr. Seward 

 remarks : — '* In the Russian plant there are apparently no lateral 



* Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc, liii.. 1897, p. 218, pi. xxiii., fig. 1. 

 t Lowe — Ferns : British and Exotic, 1868, p. 41, pi. xvi. ; Beddoine — 

 Ferns of Brit. India, ii., p. 264, pi. cclxiv. 

 X Historia Filicium, 1875, p. 81. 

 § Hist. Veg. Foss., i., 1828, pis. xc, xciv., and cvi. 



II Flora Foss. Form. Oolithicse, i., p. 168, pi. xix., figs. 3- 17. 



4[ Beitrage zur Jura-Flora Eusslands, 1879, pi. xiv., figs. 6-8. 



