Fossil Floras of Cape Colony. 23 



At first sight the examples shown in iigs. 8 and 9 suggested surface- 

 impressions of stems bearing prominent leaf-cushions, but the fact 

 that no specimens could be found exhibiting more than two rows 

 of the cushions was a difficulty in the way of regarding them as 

 fragments of stems. ^Moreover, the two alternating rows were found 

 in some cases {e.g., fig. 8) to be situated obliquely to one another, 

 the cushions of one row being almost at right angles to those of the 

 other series. 



It occurred to me that the narrow oval area forming the flat top 

 of the cushions, and well shown in figs. 8 and 9, agreed in size and 

 form with the base of the pinnae of Zamites recta (fig. 12, pi. vi.) ; 

 this led me to make a further search for evidence as to a possible 

 connection of the rows of cushions with the fronds of the cycad. 

 The discovery of the specimen represented, rather larger than 

 natural size, in fig. 11, confirmed this view and clearly demonstrated 

 that these apparent stems are portions of the rachis of Zamites 

 recta. The following description of the figured specimens may serve 

 to elucidate to some extent the nature of these curious fossils. 



Plate VI., fig. 8 (289c). 



A piece of rachis 4 cm. long, retaining fragments of carbonaceous 

 matter (not shown in the drawing) on its surface. There are two 

 alternating rows of prominent cushions obliquely inclined to one 

 another ; each cushion consists of a flat surface or base exhibiting 

 a few obliquely longitudinal wrinklings, and this bears a prominent 

 cushion-like body sloping gradually to a flat top of oval outline 

 bounded by a fairly prominent rim. The sloping sides of the 

 cushions are folded into small ribs and bear the impress of numerous 

 cell-outlines, as shown in the enlarged drawing, fig. 10. 



In the lower part of fig. 8 the cushions are absent, and the flat 

 basal area is more fully exposed ; the transversely elongated 

 depression a occurs in the interval between adjacent cushions. 

 Associated with Zamites pinniB, Cycadolcpis, &c. 



Plate VI., fig. 9 (328c). 

 A single row of cushions like those shown in fig. 8. 



Plate VI., fig. 10 («). 



A small piece of the surface of a cushion enlarged to show the 

 fine reticulations representing the impressions of cells. 



