Devonian.] PALEONTOLOGY OF VICTORIA. IPlants, 



Plate XXXVI., Figs. l-2a. 

 ARCH.^OPTEPJS HOWITTI (McCoy). 



[Genus ARCHEOPTERIS (Dawson). =PALjE0PTERIS (ScniMPER, not Geinitz). 

 (Class Acotyledones ; sub-class Acrogena;. Order Filices. Fam. Neuropterid:e.) 



Gen. Char.. — Bipinnate ; pinna; alternate, pinnules obliquely obovate, imbricate, opposite 

 ■with narrow decurrent base ; a pinnule often on the rachis between bases of piunje ; neuration 

 fine divaricating, dichotomous ; fertile pinnules in the midst of the infertile ones ; sori ovate, in 

 bunches at ends of much divided veins. 



Common in Upper Devonian beds of Europe and North America, and rare in the lower 

 Carboniferous.] 



Description. — Pinnae upwards of 4 inches long', and about 1^ inches wide. 

 Pinnules sub-opposite, imbricate, obliquelj' ovato-rhomboidal, narrowed to the base, 

 which articulates to the petiole so a.s to appear slightly decurrent on one face, and 

 oblique!}^ inserted on the other ; terminal pinnules nearly the size and shape of the 

 lateral ones, but equilateral ; average length of each pinnule, 1 inch 1 line ; width, 

 6 lines. Nerves slightly radiating, slender (about 14 in 3 lines across the middle), 

 with 2 or 3 dichotomous branches from base to upper margin ; edges only slightly 

 lacerated. 



This sub-genus of Ci/clopteris is a portion of the PalcBopteris of 

 Schimper, bvit, as Dr. Dawson points out, that name was previously 

 used by Geinitz for a different set of plants, and the present generic 

 name is adopted as proposed by Dr. Dawson for that section, 

 agreeing with the Upper Devonian P. Hibernica of Irish, and 

 P. Jacksoni of Canadian, Upper Devonian strata. 



This s^^ecies is most allied to the Canadian A. Jacksoni from 

 the U^iper Devonian beds of Gaspe, from which it differs in its 

 larger and broader pinnules, and to the A. Hibernica fi-om the 

 Upper Devonian of Kilkenny and Berwickshire, from which its 

 shorter, broader, and more closely set imbrication pinnules and 

 smaller pinnae distinguish it. The fertile pinnides have not been 

 found as yet. 



Abundant in the Upper Devonian olive flags of Iguana Creek. 



Explanation of Figures. 



Plate XXXVI. — Fig. 1, longest pinna with terminal pinnule found, natural size. Fig. 2, 

 well-preserved pinnules, showing the form and dense placing on the rachis. Fig 2a, one of the 

 pinnules magnified to show the neuration and form of the attachment at base. 



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