Fossil Floras of Cape Colony. 5 



The use of the name Thyrsopteris as a generic designation for fossil 

 ferns has unfortunately been adopted by several authors solely on 

 the ground of a resemblance between the fragments of sterile fronds 

 with those of the single existing species, Thyrsopteris elegans, a type 

 confined to the island of Juan Fernandez. Yokoyama's discovery of 

 fertile pinnae of Geyler's species exhibiting a striking resemblance to 

 those of the recent genera Onychium and Gymnogramme, led him to 

 suggest the name Onychiopsis as a convenient designation for ferns 

 possessing the Onychium type of fertile frond. 



Onychiopsis mantelli Brongn. 



Plate I. 



Plate v., fig. 1. 



1824. Hymenopteris psilotoides Stokes and Webb, Trans. Geol. 



Soc, [ii.] vol. i., p. 423, pi. xlvi., fig. 7. 

 1828. Sphenopteris Mantelli Brongniart, Prodrome, p. 50. 

 1828. Sphenopteris Mantelli Brongniart, Hist. v6g. foss., p. 170, 



pi. xlv., figs. 3-7. 

 1833. Sphenopteris Mantelli Mantell, Geol. S.E. England, p. 241. 

 1836. Cheilanthites Mantelli Goppert, Foss, Farrnkrt., p. 231 ; 



Nova Acta Ac. Caes. Leop.-Car., vol. xvii. Supp. 

 1839. Cheilanthites denticulatus Eoemer, Verstein. Ool.-Geb., p. 9, 



pi. xvii., fig. 1. 

 1846. Sphenopteris Mantelli Dunker, Wealdenbildung, p. 2, pi. i., 



fig. 4a. 

 1846. Sphenopteris Boemeri Dunker, loc. cit., p. 3, pi. i., figs. 3, 4, 5. 

 1846. Sphenopteris tcncra Dunker, loc. cit., pi. viii., fig. 5. 

 1846. Confervites fissiis Dunker, loc. cit., pi. i., fig. 1. 

 1852. Sphenopteris Mantelli Ettingshausen, Abb. k.-k. geol. Keichs., 



p. 14, pi. iv., figs. 3, 4. 

 1867. Sphenopteris antipodum Tate, Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc, 



vol. xxiii., p. 139. 

 1869. Sphenopteris {Davallioides) Mantelli Schimper, Trait, pal. 



veg., vol. i., p. 393. 

 1871. SpJienopteris Mantelli Schenk, Palaeontographica, vol. xix., 



p. 208, pi. xxiii., figs. 1-8. 

 1871. Sphenolepis Kurriana Schenk, pi, xxv., fig. 6, loc. cit., p. 243, 



pi. xxxviii., fig. 2. 

 1875. Sphenopteris Mantelli Schenk, Palaeontographica, vol. xxxiii.,. 



p. 158, pi. xxviii., fig. 12. 



