tsaroxius. 147 



This genus was founded for the reception of some remarkable 

 Indian fronds, of which only a few specimens are known. So 

 far as I am aware, they are its only representatives. 



Belemnopteris Wood-Masoniana, Feistmantel. 

 (Text-fig. 35.) 



1876. Belemnopteris Wood-Masoniana, Feistmantel, Journ. Asiat. Soc. 



Bengal, vol. xlv, pt. 2, p. 371, pi. xx, figs. 1, 2. 

 1881. B. Wood-Masoniana, Feistmantel, Flora Gondw. Syst., vol. iii, 



pts. 2, 3, p. 112, pi. xliiiA, figs. 3, 4. 



Frond broadly sagittate, entire. Apex obtuse. Basal lobes 

 obtusely acuminate, the median primary nerve strong, the two 

 lateral primary nerves of the lobes thinner, all attenuated towards 

 their extremities. Secondary nerves arising at a sub-acute angle, 

 anastomosing, forming hexagonal or polygonal meshes. Fructi- 

 fication unknown. 



The sagittate form of these fronds, and the large open meshes 

 recalling the Glossopterids of the type of G. retifera, give a very 

 distinctive appearance to these fossils, and it is much to be hoped 

 that further specimens will be obtained before long which may 

 give a clue to the affinities of this interesting plant. 



Belemnopteris Wood-Masoniana is only known from the Raniganj 

 group of the Damuda division in India. 



Not represented in the British Museum collection. 



STEMS OF FERNS. 



Genus PSARONTUS, Gotta, 1832. 



[Dendrolithen, pp. 27, 28.] 



Arborescent stems of ferns, in which the anatomical structure is 

 preserved. Central region of the stem consisting of a vascular 

 cylinder of variable dimensions, with a more or less considerable 

 number of steles. Vascular cylinder surrounded by a false cortex, 

 often of great thickness, composed of a dense mass of adventitious 

 roots. 



Steles of the central cylinder in the form of flattened bands, 

 bent or sinuate, arranged on several concentric circles in a ground- 

 mass of parenchymatous conjunctive tissue, anastomosing here and 

 there, often separated by concentric bands of sclerenchyma, 

 especially towards the periphery of the cylinder. These bands also 



