CARBONIFEROUS LYCOPODS AXD SPHENOPHYLLS. 119 



Remarks. — Sphenojihyllum early attracted the notice of geolo- 

 gists, and an English specimen is figured by Scheuchzer in 1709 

 in the first edition of his Herbarium Bihtvianum, PI. IV., fig. 1, 

 one of the earliest works in which figures of fossil plants appear.' 



In 1822 Brongniart instituted the genus Sphenophyllites for 

 these plants, but altered the name to Sphenophyllum in 1828. 



The genus contains several species, and is of common occur- 

 rence, but only recently has its internal structure, and especially 

 that of the cones, been elucidated. Specimens with the internal 

 organization preserved occur in England, Scotland, Fi-ance, and 

 Westphalia, and have been the subject of several memoirs by 

 Williamson, Scott, Renault, and others. 



Suggestions as to the affinities of Sphenophylhim ha^'e been 

 very varied, and till recently the genus had been generally classed 

 \vith the Lycopodiales, but extended knowledge of its anatomy 

 and fructification have necessitated its removal from that group, 

 and it is now placed in a special class, the Sphenophyllales, a class 

 which stands alone in several important points from any other 

 family, recent or fossil. This subject will be referred to later 

 when we have more fully considered the characteristics of the 

 Family. Sphenophyllum does not appear to have attained 

 to a great size, probably not reaching a greater height than 



IV., 1885, p. 26 ; ibid., Nouv. rtcher. .ncr la structure des Sphenophyllum et 

 sur hur affinities hotanxquf; Ann. d. Science JVa<. Bot., 6" Sir., Vol. IV., 

 pp. 277-311, plates, 1876 ; Bassin houiller et pe7-mien d'Autun et d'Epinac ; 

 Flore fo.'itile, deux part, p. 146, plates, 1896. 



Felix, Untersuchungen iiber den innertn Bau Westfalischcn Carbon 

 Pflanzen. Abhandl. d. KOnig Geal. Landesanstalt, Vol. VII., Heft. 3, 1SS6, 

 p. 153, PI. VI. 



Solms-Laubacli, Ueber die seinerzeit von Unger beschriebenen gtrtikturhiet- 

 enden PJlanzenrette des Unterctdm von Saal/eld in Thiiringen ; Abhandl. d. 

 Kunig Preussischen Geol. Landesanstalt, Xeue Folge, Heft. 23, Berlin, 1896, 

 p. SO, PI. v., figs. 3-4 ; Fossil Botany, p. 343, 1891 (English edition). 



Potonie, Lehrbuc/i der PJlanzenpahvontologie, p. 175, Berlin, 1899; 

 Ueber der Stellung der Sphenophyllaceen. im System. Bericht. d. Deut. Bot. 

 Gesell. Jahrgang, 1894, Vol. XII., Heft. 4, p. 97; Newberry, "The Genus 

 Sphenophyllum," Journ. Cincinnati Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. XIII., p. 212, 

 1891. 



1 The second edition, enlarged, appeared in 1723. Though G. F. Myliiis, 

 Memorabilium Saxonice Subterraneie slso he&vs. i\\Q date 1709, it is quoted 

 by Scheuchzer, so must have appeared earlier in the same year. 



