OTOZAMITES. 63 



with the larger specimens of the present species. Schimper places 

 this Culm species in his genus Cardiopteris, and describes it as an 

 unusually large-leaved neuropteroid fern. The venation of the 

 large pinnae of the Wealden fronds suggests that of certain fern 

 pinnules ; and it must be borne in mind in dealing with such leaves 

 as those of a neuropteroid or otozamitean type, that we are 

 unable to speak dogmatically as to the botanical position of the 

 species. 



Among the Jurassic plants figured by Saporta l there occur 

 a few examples of fronds with leaf segments comparable to those 

 of 0. Klipsteinii ; e.g., 0. decorus, Sap., and 0. lagotis, Brong. 

 A detached segment named by Saporta Sphenozamites Brongniarti, 

 agrees fairly closely with some of the larger pinnae of the English 

 Wealden specimens, but the French fragments are too small to allow 

 of any precise comparison, and hardly worthy of a special specific 

 name. The frond fragments described by Hosius and von Marck as 

 Pterophyllum blechniforme 2 have a certain resemblance to some of 

 the English specimens, but are clearly not specifically identical ; the 

 generic name Otozamites would seem to be more applicable to this 

 species of Hosius and von Marck than that of Pterophyllum. The 

 pinnae of Fontaine's species Zamites tenuinervis 3 may be compared 

 with some of the longer segments of Otozamites JTlipsteinn, but 

 there is not sufficient evidence to justify the inclusion of the 

 Potomac and English forms in the same species. 



Finally, we have a somewhat similar form of leaf in some 

 examples of the Palaeozoic genus Cordaites 4 recently figured by 

 Grand' Eury from the Coal-field of Gard. Whilst drawing attention 

 to some of the plants previously described, in which a greater or 

 less resemblance may be traced to the present species, it must 

 be definitely stated, that we are without any satisfactory evidence 

 as to the exact position in the plant kingdom to which these large- 

 leaved forms should be referred. Having regard to the general 

 habit of the fossil fronds, the apparently stiff nature of the pinnae, 

 etc., the cycads appear to be the more likely plants with which to 



1 PL xl. 



2 (A. 1), Palaeontographica, vol. xxvi. pi. xliv. fig. 197. 



3 Potomac Flora, pi. Ixvii. fig. 1, etc. 



4 Grand'Eury, pi. vi. figs. 14 and 16. 



