COKDAITALES. 177 



origin, since Lycopods are unknown at present from Australasia 

 in association with the Glossopteris flora. The discs vary in 

 diameter from '3-'5 mm. Newton describes them as "more or 

 less circular bodies somewhat thickened towards the circumference, 

 many of them having their surfaces raised into irregular folds." 

 The walls of the sacs are dotted, the dots being "minute lines 

 (tubes?) passing from the outer to the inner surface." The spores 

 are brownish in colour, and usually compressed. 



The examination of the two specimens in the collection showing 

 these spores has not thrown any fresh light on their structure or 

 nature. It appears to me to be hardly necessary to retain the 

 name Tasmanites punctatus. 



"V. 4010. A piece of sandy shale showing a large number of 

 minute, rounded spores. 



Mersey River, Tasmania. Pres. by G. Sweet, Esq., 1900. 



V. 3778. A similar specimen showing numerous yellowish 

 spores. 



Mersey River, Tasmania. Pres. by T. Stephens, Esq., 1896. 



Group GYMNOSPERMEiE. 



Trees or shrubs with horaoxylous wood (except Gnetacece). 

 Flowers always unisexual, and as a rule without perianth (except 

 Gnetaeeae). Ovules and seeds naked, not enclosed in carpels. 

 Seed endospermous, endosperm being formed before fertilisation. 

 Anemophilous plants. 



There are five great classes of Gymnosperms, four of -which, viz., 

 the Cycadophyta, Ginkgoales, Gnetaceae, and Coniferales, are repre- 

 sented in the flora of the present day, and one, the Cordaitales, has 

 been long extinct. All these classes, except Gnetales, contribute to 

 the Permo-Carboniferous floras both of the Northern and Southern 

 Hemispheres. 



Class CORDAITALES. 



An extinct race of seed-bearing, arborescent plants, with large, 

 simple, entire leaves, traversed by simple, parallel or sub parallel 

 nerves, with occasional dichotomy. The female fructification is 

 a seed of the Gymnosperrnous type. 



