58 



ties of these plants; they are just as truncated at the base as 

 at their crown, ending with a smooth surface, with no indi- 

 cation of rootlets whatever. Only a few surface grooves, 

 3 to 4 in. in length give reason to assume that they were canals 

 by which water entered. 



In two of the upper terminations of these plants there 

 are from the depth of the center short projections, lyi in. 

 thick and ^< in. in length, showing an outgrowth to some 

 extent. 



- Nearly all of these superior cup-like endings have on one 

 side raised margins much higher than on the other, probably 

 to catch more of a southern sun for n'c/i production. 



Austraha, the continent still representing to a great 

 measure Carboniferous characters, has a representative 

 which must be closely akin to our plant. It is the Grass-tree 

 Xanthorrluca hostile, which is considered by high German 

 botanical authority as a still living representative of Sigil- 

 laria of Carboniferous age. This plant, I think, throws a 

 search-light upon our question. 



In Psaronius, each fascicle in the stem, issued at the 

 crown a long slender leaf and from the crateriform center 

 extended a long slender pedicle or stalk, bearing at its end 

 sporiferous fructification. 



The name Psaronius will be maintained, but needs a still 

 deeper study and proper description. In its center it bears 

 characteristic fern structure and seems one of the fern's 

 closest allies; in its leaves, of which we have as yet nothing 

 positive, it must have resembled the growth of Sigillaria. 

 Moreover, I have a conic flat superior end of one of these 

 plants, having a center hke that of others, the supposed 

 aerial rootlets composing the exterior, with scars of leaves 

 on it telling of a stemmatopterous character. This surely 

 demonstrates that this stem is not a compound rootlet stock. 

 Some more very remarkable features of these plants can 

 be seen at my house. 



