230 ON APHYLLOSTACHYS. 
Without any apparent node, these peduncles appear to pass down the 
internode, — but they were probably subtended by bracts, — and give 
the appearance of parallel striation to the axis, which was perhaps 
fluted. The base of the lower verticil (/?) is hid by the stony matrix. 
There are no leaves at the base of the spikes. I formerly thought the 
fruit-capsules were also without them, and so named the fossil Apftytto- 
stacliys, but now I believe they were present, as shown in the magni- 
fied view of the lower whorl in Fig. 2. The spikes consist of from 12 
to 16 verticils, of quadrangular, densely-packed capsules, or rather 
sporangia if the plant was a cryptogam, arranged apparently not in 
vertical, but alternating series. The capsules in the specimen were 
empty when it became fossilized. There appears to have been 16 cap- 
sules in each verticil, for in the upper exposed surface 6 to 8 may be 
counted. There are no certain indications of the nature of the seeds 
of fruit-capsules, as may be seen from Fig. 2, which is considerably 
magnified, and is a representation of the whole fossil except the por- 
tion of the stalk below e in Fig. 1. This enlarged figure, however, 
does not show much more than Fig. 1, and we have consequently left 
out the details except in the lowest verticil. The bracts, however, at 
the base of the spikes (if, indeed, they really exist) are more obvious 
at c. Fig. 2, 6, shows the base of the spikes ; c, their peduncles ; rf, 
the place where the peduncles pass into the longitudinal stride of the 
internodes; e, spikes, showing the fruit-capsules arranged in horizontal 
and probably alternating series. 
One is involuntarily reminded, on looking at this plant, of the fruit- 
spikes of several Coal-plants of the Calumarim family, such as 8pk* 
nophyllum Schlotkeimil, lirongn. (Germar Petrific. Wettin. fasc. n. 
tab. vi. fig. 1-3), or still more of the rarer and less known Volkmannm 
sessilis, Presl (Verh. Bohmischen Museums, 16, Prag, 1838, p. 28, 
tab. ii. fig. 1), with its similarly-arranged fruits. But our plant dif- 
fers from both, and all others, by the absence of leaves at the base o 
the whorl of spikes, and by its closely-crowded square fruits; so that, 
even if our plant should turn out to belong to the Upper Coal forma- 
tions, it would always constitute a new genus. In vain have I looke 
for a proper analogous form in the existing flora, and fifteen years ag , 
as now, I was never able to hit upon anything better than the Casita- 
rinea; compare the fruits of Casuarina dkfyla, Vent. Though there 
may be a certain resemblance in the nature of the stem, the frmt-spi 
