GANGAMOPTEEIS 103 



in fronds which were probably borne by one and the same plant. 

 In some cases it is questionable whether it is possible to distinguish 

 clearly between the two genera. 1 



Nothing is known as to the fructification of any member of the 

 genus, nor has it been ascertained whether the fronds are dimorphic 

 like those of Glossopteris. Feistmantel 2 has figured some very 

 small fronds, recalling the scale-fronds of Glossopteris, which he 

 referred to Gangamopteris, but whether they should be regarded as 

 belonging to the former genus rather than the latter there is no 

 evidence at present to show. 



The specimen originally described by McCoy in 1847 as 

 Cyclopteris angustifolia, on which the genus is founded, is pre- 

 served in the Sedgwick Museum, Cambridge. 



Distribution. — Gangamopteris is perhaps as widely distributed in 

 the Permo-Carboniferous rocks of Gondwanaland as Glossopteris, 

 although it is not of such common occurrence nor so generally 

 abundant. In South America it occurs in both Brazil and 

 Argentina, whereas Glossopteris has been only comparatively 

 recently discovered in the latter country. In Victoria, Australia, 

 Glossopteris is unknown, while several species of Gangamopteris are 

 found. In India it appears to be more abundant than Glossopteris 

 in the lowest member of the Gondwana Series, the Talchir- 

 Karharbari Beds, though in the "Lower Coal Measures" of New 

 South Wales, of approximately the same age, it is unknown, 

 whereas several Glossopterids occur. Otherwise it occurs in almost 

 all the divisions of the Permo-Carboniferous rocks in various parts 

 of the world from which the Glossopteris flora is known. It has 

 not, however, been recorded from beds of Mesozoic age. 



Permo-Carboniferous (Glossopteris flora): — India, in the Talchir 

 and Damuda divisions ; Kashmir ; New South Wales, in the 

 Newcastle Series; Victoria; Tasmania; S. Africa, Transvaal; 

 South America, Brazil and Argentina. Permian (Northern Type) : — 

 Russia. 



1 See Etheridge & David (94), pp. 240-1. 



2 Feistmantel' (79 1 ), pi. ix, fig. 4 ; pi. x, fig. 3 ; (81), pi. xxxixA, fig. 9. 



