NOTE ON THE PERMIAN FLORA OF KANSAS. 



Contribution from Paleontological Laboratory No. 54. 



BY E. H. SELLARDS. 



"1~\URING the past year a very interesting and important plant 

 -*-^ horizon was discovered in the Permian (Marion* formation), 

 Dickinson county, Kansas, by Mr. Charles Sterling, of the University. 

 In October of the same year the author visited the locality and made 

 a careful collection. The plants are of great biological as well as 

 geological interest. 



CalUpteris eoi^ferta Sterng. occurs very abundantly. C covferta, 

 var. ohliqua Goep. is the most common. Other forms occur which agree 

 closely with C. conferta lanceolata Weiss and C. conferta vulgaris 

 Weiss. Still other pinnae, differing from any yet figured, in having 

 a much more obtuse apex, a projjortionally smaller terminal pinnule, 

 and a flexuous rachis, seem to represent a new variety of this very 

 variable species. The largest specimen of the species in our collec- 

 tion is the middle portion of a frond, having a rachis (3 mm. wide, 

 with pinna? alternate, oblique, 2 cm. apart. The innnules are alter- 

 nate, contiguous almost to the apex, 8 to 11 mm. long, and stand out 

 obliquely from the rachis, curving back at the apex. Another speci- 

 men shows the terminal portion of the frond, with the characteristic 

 ajjpearance as figured by Weiss, f 



The pinnules, seen from above, have a smooth coreaceous look, the 

 midvein and rachial vein showing as slight depre.ssions ; seen from be- 

 low they appear wrinkled, the midvein of the pinnule and the rachial 

 vein showing as sharp, thin elevations. Professor Weiss speaks of a 

 line running from the rachis of the pinna to the incision between the 

 pinnules. Our specimens show that this line is a vein going oft' from 

 the midvein of. the pinnule near or at its base, or from the rachis of 

 the pinna, and running obliquely to the incision between the pin- 

 nules. It is impossible to mistake the species, as it agrees in every 

 particular with Weiss's figures. The fronds are readily recognizable 

 by the form of the pinnules, the strong vein running to the incision 

 between them, and the decurrent pinnules attached to the penulti- 

 mate rachis between the ultimate pinnae. 



*Chas. S. Prosser, Journal of Geology, vol. 3, p. 786. 

 tFossile Flora d. jungst. Stein, u. Roth, pis. VI and VII. 



[63J— K.U.Qr.— A ix 1— Jan. '00. 



