FILICALES. 



167 



This species seems clearly to l)c drvoiitcroici, 

 and among the more than 1 ,000 existmg species 

 referred to the genus Dryopteris in Cliristen- 

 sen's recent monographic work' it suggests the 

 subgenera (often and probably more properly 

 considered as genera) Lastrea Bory, Goniop- 

 teris Presl, and Meniscium Sclireber, whicli 

 together mclude more than ;>()0 of existmg and 

 variable species. Tlie venation of several of 

 these modern forms is ex<'.eoilmgly variable, as 

 may be seen by examinmg the recent species of 

 Goniopteris and Meniscium. In my manu- 

 script of the ilora of the Claiborne group I have 

 described a splendidly preserved new species 

 of (ioniopteris, which I regard as undoubtedly 

 of generic rank, and this species well illustrates 

 the great variation in the venation of these 

 members of the ti'ibe Dryopteridew (Aspidea'). 

 The genus Meniscium is coniined to the Anier- 

 can Tropics, and some of its forms ( Meniscium 

 reticulafuin Swartz, for example), have pinnsB 

 Uke the fossil. Though the venation m Menis- 

 cium is commonly variable, the tertiaries di- 

 verge from the secondaries, which are more 

 widely spaced, at more regular intervals, and 

 the ultimate venules, which result regularly 

 from the junction of two tertiaries midway in 

 their com-se, end fi'ee. The secondaries are 

 closer, there is a marghial vem, and no free 

 venules have been observed in the fossil. The 

 figures of Meni])liyllum given by Gardner- and 

 Ettingshausen should bo considted for critical 

 comparison with Meniphylloides, and M'liat 

 these authors say about Menipliyllum may bo 

 amended to mclude Meniphylloides, namely, 

 that m the combination of a marginal and 

 netted venation these genera present a special 

 type of venation which has never been ob- 

 served in recent forms. Dr. W. R. Maxon, 

 who has seen drawmgs of the Meniphylloides, 

 confirms this statement. He has suggested that 

 the peculiar intramarginal veinlet may be an 

 impression resultuig from a revolute callous 

 margin, and this possibility should not be lost 

 sight of, although the considerable amount of 

 material, which is preserved in very fine clay, 

 does not conhrm this suggestion, and it is also 

 rendered improbable by the well-preserved 

 toothed margui. 



iChristensen, C, On a natural classification of the species of Dryop- 

 teris; Saertryk at Biologiske Arheijdnor Tilegnedo Hug. Warming, pp. 

 73-S.5. ISU. 



= Op. cit.,pl. 3, fij^s. 1(1-14. 



A species of Meniscium has been describc^d 

 by Engclliardt-' from thc^ Tertiary of Colombia. 



Occurrence. — Wilcox group, Old Port Caddo 

 Laiidmg, Little Cypress Bayou, Harrison 

 Comity, Tex. (collected by T.'W. Vaughan); 

 4i antl 5 miles soutlieast of Naborton, De Soto 

 Parish, La. (collected by O. B. Hopkins). 

 Grenada formation, Grenada, Grenada Comity, 

 Miss, (collected l)y E. N. Lowe and E. W. 

 Berry). 



Collections. — 11. S. Niitional Museum. 



Genus ASPLENIUM Linne. 



AsPLEXiUM EOLiGMTicA Berry, n. sp. 



rUilc XI. fit,'un'3. 



Gijmnogrnminahaiidriiii. Lesqucroiix, The Cretaceous and 

 Tertiary floras, p. 122, pi. It), fig. 2, 1883. (Not 

 the same as the type of Gijmnogrmnma haydenii 

 Lesquereux, The Tertiary flora, p. 59, pi. 6, 

 figs. 1-3, 1878, which was subsequently referred to 

 the genus Aneimia.) 



Description. — Pmnse very large, linear-lance- 

 olate in outlhie. Margins strongly serrate- 

 toothed, the teeth irregular in size and spacing 

 but very difi'erent from the shallow dentate 

 teeth of Pteris 'pseudo'pinnseforrnis. Texture 

 coriaceous. Midrii) stout. Laterals diverse 

 from the niichil) at acute angles of about 40° 

 and are tlmi, subparaUel, and rather more 

 curved and more closely spaced than in the 

 associated Pteris pseudopinnseformis Lesque- 

 reux. Tliey are immersed in the tliick leaf 

 substance, are rarely simple, fork (many of 

 them several times), and termmate in the mar- 

 gms. Length of pimise about 20 centimeters. 

 Maximum width, in middle part, 3.5 centi- 

 meters. 



Tliis s])ecies may be identical with Pteris 

 pseudopinnxformis, although it appears dis- 

 tinct. It is larger and more coriaceous, the 

 laterals are closer and more commonly forked, 

 with difTcrent and much more promment teeth. 

 The form figured in 1883 by Lesquereux from 

 Golden, Colo., as Gymnogramm(i. haydenii ap- 

 peal's to me to he quite distmct from the 

 earher material Lesquereux described under 

 that name, and to be identical with this species. 

 This adds another element common to the 

 early Eocene of the Gulf and llocky Mountain 

 areas. 



3 Engelhardt, n., Senckenbergische natiirf. 

 p. 38, pi. -J, figs. 12-17, 1895. 



vol. 19, 



