PRESENT POSITION OF PALEOZOIC BOTANY—SCOTT. 397 
mens are not in the petrified condition, it was found possible to isolate 
the microspores, which are still contained in the sporangia. 
It is a point of great interest that the male fructification of Lygino- 
dendron should have been borne on the same frond which elsewhere 
shows the usual vegetative characters. In this respect Lyginoden- 
drow was at a lower stage of differentiation than many Ferns, and 
far below the level of any seed plants previously known. 
About a year before Mr. Kidston’s discovery, Miss M. Benson had 
described a synangic fructification, with structure preserved, which 
she named Yelangium Scotti, and was inclined to refer to Lygino- 
dendron. In this fructification, from 4 to 8 mm. long, pointed spo- 
rangia are partially united to form synangia, much like some of those 
attributed to Marattiacez. The best evidence for reference to Lygino- 
dendron was afforded by the spores, which agree very nearly with 
Fie. 12.—Lagenostoma Sinclairi. a, Portion of branched rachis bearing cupulate seeds. 
natural size. b, Two seeds inclosed in cupules and borne on branches of the rachis. 
x 3%. After Arber. 
the pollen grains found within the pollen chamber of species of 
Lagenostoma. From observations of my own I think it probable 
that Miss Benson’s 7elangiwm may turn out to have been a Cvosso- 
theca and that the bilocular sporangia observed by Mr. Kidston may 
be an indication of synangic structure. 
In any case it appears that the reproductive organs of Lyginoden- 
dron present the same combination of characters which is shown so 
clearly in the vegetative structure. While the highly organized seed 
strongly indicates Cycadean affinities, the microsporangiate fructifi- 
‘cation is entirely Fern-like in its nature. 
Before leaving the Lyginodendrex, it may be pointed out that 
Heterangium (with the foliage of Sphenopteris elegans and other 
species), though its fructification is not yet known, is clearly shown 
by its anatomical structure to belong to the same family with Lygino- 
