176 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



Frond of Zygopterideae.* — P. Bertrand publishes some notes on the 

 frond of the Zygopteridese, especially Glepsydropsis antiqua, Metaclepsy- 

 dropsis paradoxa, Etapteris Lacattei, and E. Shorensis, describing their 

 fibro- vascular bundles, their affinities, etc. 



Forbesia cancellata.t — T. Johnson describes Fordesia cancellata, a 

 new genus and species of primitive fern from the Lower Carboniferous 

 of Bandon, Co. Cork. It had previously been recorded as Sphenopteris 

 sp. by Baily. Only impression-specimens are available, and these are 

 honeycombed structures, showing a differentiation into axis and leaf with 

 cuneate segments. It was a vascular cryptogam without vascular bundles. 



Stachypteris Hallei.:]: — H. H. Thomas gives an account of Stachyp- 

 teris Hallei, a new Jurassic fern found at Whitby and Saltburn, and 

 describes the 3- to 4-pinnate frond, the sterile and fertile pinnules, 

 the sori, sporangia, spores. The plant possibly belonged to a group 

 intermediate between Cyatheacese and Schizaeacese. 



Irish Coal-flora.§ — E. A. N. Arber publishes some contributions 

 to our knowledge of the floras of the Irish Carboniferous Rocks, and 

 supplements Baily's records for the Ballycastle coalfield by recording 

 and describing the following species : — Arcliseocalamites sp., Adiantites 

 witiquus, Sphe?iopteris flabellata, Lepidodendron Veltheimi,L. Volkmanrii- 

 mium, L. conf. Rhodeanum, Stigmaria ficoides. 



Diplolabis R6meri.|| — W. T. Gordon gives an account of the struc- 

 ture and affinities of Diplolabis Romeri from the calciferous sandstone 

 series (Culm) at Petty cur, where specimens were found with stems, 

 petioles and roots connected. The stem has long internodes, and is 

 repeatedly branched ; the structure of the xylem is described in detail. 

 The petiole-traces resemble Zygopteris in one part, Diplolabis in another. 

 The root- traces are diarch. The plant had a creeping rhizome with 

 erect stipites. Diplolabis was allied to Osmundaceae. 



Abortive Spike of Botrychium.f — 0. 0. Stoland gives an ana- 

 tomical account of the abortive spike of Botrychiiim virginianuyn. His 

 conclusions are that : — 1. The leaf -trace of the petiole bearing the 

 abortive spike consists of several bundles, instead of the Wo bundles 

 usually found in the petiole bearing the fertile spike. 2. The two or 

 four strands supplying the abortive spike arise from the edges or base 

 of the gap in the leaf -trace. 3. The pair of sterile pinnas following 

 the abortive spike are supplied by two pairs of strands, originating in 

 the same way as those for the abortive spike, -i. The strands to the 

 abortive spike may or may not contain xylem, but never throughout 

 the entire strand. 5. The origin of the strands to the abortive spike 



* Bull. Soc. Hist. Nat. Autun, xxv. (1912) 38 pp. (4 pis. and figs.). See also 

 Bot. Gentralbl., cxxii. (1913) pp. 6-7. 



t Sci. Proc. Roy. Dublin Soc, xiii. (1912) pp. 177-83 (2 pis.). 

 X Proc. Cambridge Phil. Soc.,xvi. (1912) pp. 610-14 (1 i^l.). 

 § Sci. Proc. Roy. Dublin Soc, xiii. (1912) pp. 162-76 (3 pis.). 

 li Trans. Roy. Soc. Edinburgh, xlvii. (1911) pp. 711-36 (4 pis.). 

 ^ Bot. Gaz., liv. (1912) pp. 525-31 (figs.). 



