Fossil Floras of Capa Colony. 71 



and the winged membranous border represented in the drawing is not 

 shown in the specimens that I have examined. A few of the Tivoli 

 specimens in the British Museum are characterised by more 

 numerous lateral branches and form connecting links between 

 the types represented in pi. vii., figs, la and 3. 



Szajnocha '■'■ refers a small specimen from Argentine Ehtetic beds 

 to Carruthers' species, but his material is too meagre to afford addi- 

 tional evidence as to the nature of the plant. 



There can be no doubt as to the identity of the specimens shown 

 in pi. vii., figs. 2, 3, and pi. xi., fig. 3, with Carruthers' species, but I 

 have no hesitation in describing the South African examples as too 

 stiff and woody to be referred to Splienopteris. There is no well- 

 defined median rib in the majority of the specimens, but the striated 

 appearance of the impression and the stout form of the branches 

 point to a plant of more woody texture than the frond of a fern. 



In all probability the specimen represented in pi. vii., fig. 3, is 

 specifically identical with those represented in fig. 2. The smaller 

 form with the pointed and shorter branchlets agrees very closely with 

 some Australian fossils figured by Tenison- Woods f as Trichomanites 

 sjnnifolium but afterwards referred by Shirley to Trichomanites elon- 

 gata.l Feistmantel § records a specimen of Carruthers' species 

 from the Hawkesbury beds of New South Wales, and adds that its 

 occurrence in the African Stormberg beds might be expected seeing 

 that it is a common plant in association with Thiniifeldia in Queens- 

 land and that it occurs with this genus also in South America. 



It is difficult to decide what generic designation to apply to the 

 specimens represented in figs. 2 and 3, pi. vii., and fig. 3, pi. xi. 

 The genus Sphcnoptcris used by Carruthers is, I believe, inappro- 

 priate, as the nature of the fossils does not appear to me to favour 

 their identification as ferns. The lateral branches seem to be 

 identical in texture with the axis from which they spring, and in the 

 smaller specimen (pi. vii., fig. 3) the small ultimate branchlets show no 

 trace of a median vein but present a longitudinally striated appearance 

 (fig. 3«) suggesting a woody texture. I am unable to recognise any 

 indication of scale-leaves, nor do there appear to be any transverse 

 divisions or constrictions. Some specimens figured by Saporta from 

 the Kimeridgien of France and placed by him in his genus Stenop- 

 teris agree closely with the African plant in habit, but differ appa- 

 rently in the presence of a more distinct median vein and in the 



* Szajnocha (88), pi. 11, fig. 2. f Tenison-Woods (83), pi. iii., lig. 7. 



+ Shirley (98), pi. x., fig. 3, p. 19. § Feistmantel (89), p. 61. 



