Mr E. Kidston on Sphenopteris crassa. 235 



XX. On Sphenopteris crassa {Lindley and Hutton). By 

 Egbert Kidston, F.G.S. [Plate V.] 



(Read 17th January 1883.) 



Sphenopteris crassa, L. & II., "Fossil Flora, pi. clx. (1835). 



Adiantitcs pachyrracJiis, Goppert, Die fossilen Farrnkriluter, p. 387 (1836). 



Cycloptcris pachyrrachis, Unger, Synopsis Plantarum Fossilium, p. 56 



(1845). 

 Cyclo2)teris adiantoidcs, Unger, Genera et Species Plantarum Fossilium, 



p. 100 (1850). 

 Adiantitcs crassus, Schimper, Traite de Pal^ontologie Vegetale, vol. i., 



p. 425 (1869). 

 Sphenopteris Kiowitzensis, Stur, Die Culm-Flora, Band i., p. 32, pi. vi., 



fig. 8 (1875). 

 Calymmotheca Kiowitzensis, Stur, Die Culm-Flora, Band ii., p. 151 (1877). 



Perhaps no fossil plant of equally rare occurrence has re- 

 ceived so many names as the present species. More than half 

 of the synonyms have been created by systematists who, 

 differing in opinion as to the genus in which the plant should 

 be placed, appear to have thought that, on its being removed 

 from one genus to another, they were quite justified in also 

 applying a new specific name. 



Since this fern was described by Lindley and Hutton in 

 1835, and the publication of Schimper's " Traite de Paleonto- 

 logie Vegetale" in 1869-74, three different designations have 

 been applied to it, in none of which was any trace of the 

 original name preserved. 



The first alteration was made by Goppert in his work " Die 

 fossilen Farrnkrauter," where he classes Sphenopteris crassa, 

 L. & H., with Adiantites, and gives it a new specific name 

 {pacJiyrracMs), without assigning any reason for the change. 

 At that time the sole example which appears to have been 

 known to him was the original type specimen, as he only men- 

 tions Burdiehouse as its locality. Little excuse can be made 

 for such total disregard of priority of name. 



In 1845 Unger placed this fern in the genus Cycloptcris, 

 and retained Goppert's specific name for the species. The 

 same author five years later, in his " Genera et Species," 

 altered the specific name to adiantoidcs, to avoid confusion, as 

 another Cycloptcris, from the Lias, had been described under 

 the name of Cycloptcris pachyrrachis. 



