300 FOSSIL FLORA OF THE 



separated from each other by deep channels and forming a dome, 

 from the summit of which, the furrowed and scarred stem, clothed 

 in the upper parts with a long, narrow and pendent foliage, rose to 

 the height of nearly 100 feet. 



In our district, remains of the stems of Sigillarise are frequent in 

 the sandstones connected with the coal ; they are, however, generally 

 decorticated, and rarely exhibit the form of the scars, by which the 

 particular species may be determined. But, though the remains are 

 numerous, the species have been few, for there is a great similarity in 

 those which have been observed in all parts of the district. One 

 species we have been able distinctly to determine. 



SiGiLLARiA ORGANA (Stemb.). Ref. Sternb. t. 13. f. 1. 



Localities. In sandstone at Alnwick Moor, Howick, Lennel Braes 

 &c. 



Genus Anabathra (Witham). 



At AUanbank in Berwickshire, large masses of the remains of this 

 genus were found by Mr. Witham, along with Sigillarise and Lepido- 

 dendrons ; they were stems, roundish, tapering, and slightly striated 

 longitudinally. Portions retained structure, and exhibited a large 

 pith encircled by an unbroken medullary sheath, and a broad, woody 

 zone, without any indications of concentric circles, but with a very 

 few narrow medullary rays ; the walls of the tubes, both of the sheath 

 and zone, were marked with fine ti'ansverse lines or bars, and hence 

 the name Anabathra, which signifies the 'steps of a ladder.' This 

 plant is nearly related to Sigillaria, One species only is known. 



Anabathra pulcherrima (Witham). Ref. Fossil Veg. t. 8. 

 f. 7-12, t. 10. f. 7. 



Locality. AUanbank. 



Genus Lepidodendron (Sternb.). 



Plants which, from their scale-like leaves, have been called Lepi- 

 dodendrons, occur pretty frequently in the sandstones and shales of 

 Shilbottle and Alnwick Moor, in the cliffs at Howick and Sun- 

 derland, and on the banks of the Whiteadder and Langton Burn. 

 The stem, branches, leaves and fruit of this genus have been found ; 

 occasionally the stems have been seen above 4 feet in diameter and 

 40 feet long. The stems bifurcate or fork, and are covered over 

 with areolae or angular spaces, generally lozenge-shaped, and marked 

 with a minute scar, to which simple linear or lanceolate leaves were 

 attached. The fruit was developed at the extremity of the branches 

 in cones, formed of horizontal scales around a perpendicular axis, 

 each scale containing a vessel filled with spores. A specimen found 

 by the Rev. C. Vernon Harcourt, in the mountain limestone series 

 at Hesley Heath near Rothbury, displayed the internal structure 



