Fossil Floras of Cape Colony. 21 



Genus ZAMITES Brongniart. 



Zamites kecta (Tate). 



Plate III. 



Plate VI., figs. 8-12. 



1867. Palceozamia {Otozamites) recta, Tate, Quart. Journ. GeoL 

 Soc, vol. xxiii., pi. v., figs, la, lb. 



Fronds pinnate, probably reaching a length of 50-60 cm., rachis 

 stout and woody. 



Pinnae alternate, attached obliquely in two alternating rows by a 

 slightly narrowed and callous base to the upper face of the frond 

 axis, in the lower part of a frond they are given off almost at a right 

 angle, but tow^ards the apex of the pinnate leaf they are inclined at 

 a much smaller angle ; linear in form, tapered slightly at the swollen 

 base w^hich w^as probably separated by an abciss-layer from the rachis 

 as in Encephalartos and certain other recent genera of Cycads ; apex 

 acuminate and asymmetrical, the upper edge of the pinna almost 

 straight or slightly falcate, in some cases bending downward 

 towards the tip, the lower margin curved, bending somewhat 

 suddenly upward to the apex in the distal third of the pinna. In 

 shape the pinnte vary from the practically straight form shown in the 

 upper part of fig. 1 (pi. iii.) to the falcate type, resembling a sword- 

 bayonet, represented in fig. 3 and in some of the pinnae in fig. 1. 

 The larger pinnae reach a length of over 6 cm. and a breadth of 

 9 mm. ; veins numerous and parallel, converging towards the base 

 of the pinnae where they are frequently forked (fig. la). 



The type of frond shown in fig. 1, pi. iii., bears a very close 

 resemblance to Williamsonia gigas (L. and H.) '■'■' of the Inferior 

 Oolite of Yorkshire — a species which may w^ell be identical with 

 Zamites scJimiedelii And.,i and Zamites feneonis Brongn.,| as well 

 as with such forms as Z. moreaui, Z. clarauallensis, and others 

 figured by Saporta. j Other similar species are Zamites hohemicus 

 Vel.,11 from the Lower Cretaceous rocks of Bohemia, Zamites 

 iburgensis Hos. and von d. Marck.*^ Additional records might be 



* Lindley and Hutton (35), pi. clxv. ; Seward (00), pi. v.-viii. 



t Andrte (53), \)\. ix., figs. 1-4. 



X Saporta (75), pi. Ixxxvii.-xci. ; Heer (7<)), pi. Hi., figs. 2-8. 



§ Saporta (75), pi. Ixxxiv.-lxxxv., xciii. 



II Fric and Bayer (01), fig. 43, p. 92. 



% Hosius and von d. Marck (HO), pi. xliv., fig. 202. 



