TJENIOriEIUS. 



125 



1893. Tmriopteris spatulata, Oldham, Man. Geol. India, pi. opp. p. 176. 

 189K. Aiigiopteridium spathulntum, Dun, Eep. Austr. Assoc. Adv. Sci., 

 p. 390. 



1901. A. spathulatum, Etheridge, jun., in Anderson, 1st Eep. Geol. Surv. 



Natal, p. 72. 



1902. Taniopteris spathulata, Zeiller, Flore Foss. Gites Cliarb. Tonkin, p. 74, 



pi. xiii, fig's. 6-12. 



Type. M'Clelland's, ? Mus. Geol. Soc. India, Calcutta ; McCoy's 

 (T. Datntreei), ? Melbourne Museum, Victoria. 



Fronds simple, with parallel sides, entire, strictly linear- 

 lanceolate or linear- spathulate, gradually contracted towards the 

 base, petiole short or almost absent, apex spathulate, rounded or 

 obtusely pointed. Leaves 3-12 mm. broad, 6-15 cm. long. Ilachis 

 between -5 and 1 5 mm. broad, smooth or longitudinally striated, 

 or with fine transverse flutings. Nerves very spreading, generally 

 bifurcating at the base, to the number of 25-30 per centimetre at 

 the margin. Lamina often marked by more or less pronounced 

 transverse folds, dividing it up into compartments which are clearly 

 convex, i-| mm. in height, each traversed by a bifurcating nerve. 



Zeiller 1 has recently given a full diagnosis of this species, of 

 which the above is a translation, but which applies only to 

 the Indian species T. spathulata. In 1892, however, Etheridge 2 

 expressed the opinion that McCoy's T. Datntreei, a type of frond 

 from Austi'idasia, is identical with T. spathulata, and Dun 3 in his 

 revision of the Australian Taeniopterids has adopted this conclusion. 



The full specific diagnosis given by Etheridge agrees very well, 

 in its main essentials, with that of Zeiller. The chief characteristics 

 of this species are the very long, narrow, step-shaped leaves, the 

 thick midrib of nearly equal size throughout the length of the 

 frond, and the lateral nervation, composed of veins distant or close, 

 simple or bifurcating. 



On the other hand, the specimens described by Carruthers 4 as 

 T. Datntreei, from the Tivoli coal-mines of Ipswich, Queensland, 

 belong to a separate species, for which Tenison-Woods 5 instituted 



1 Zeiller (02 3 ), pp. 74, 75. 2 Jack & Etheridge (92), p. 373. 



3 Dun (98), p. 390. 4 Carruthers (72), p. 355, pi. xxvii, fig. 6. 



5 Tenison-Woods (83), p. 117; see also Feistniantel (90), p. 115; Seward 

 (03 1 ), p. 59. 



