TIIYLLOTHECA. 



21 



Type. Nos. R. 10,37 1-R. 10,374, Mus. Geol. Soc. London. 



Bunbury defined his species as follows: — "Stem branched, 

 furrowed; sheaths lax, somewhat bell-shaped, distinctly striated; 

 leaves narrow linear, with a strong and distinct midrib, widely 

 spreading and often recurved, nearly twice as long as the sheaths." 



Mr. Seward l has recently concluded that it is practically 

 impossible to distinguish Bunbury's type-specimens from Phyllo- 

 theca australis. In the latter species, however, the leaf-sheaths, 

 throughout their entire length, appear to be closely applied to 



Fig. 6. — Plvjlhtheca indica, Bunb. After Feistmantel. Nat. size. 



the stem, the narrow free segments radiating outwards from the 

 margin, whereas in the Indian form the sheath is usually some- 

 what more open and cup-like. It is doubtful if this character alone 

 is sufficient to warrant specific rank, but since some difference 

 of opinion exists as to the identity of these two plants, the two 

 species may be maintained for the present, especially as the Indian 

 form is still very imperfectly known. The specimens described by 



Seward (98°-), p. 288. 



