94 CYCADOLEriS. 



segments appear to be much thicker than in the similar Jurassic 

 form A. Nilssoni, and their breadth is much more uniform than in 

 the latter species. 



A species of a somewhat analogous habit has recently been 

 described by Fontaine under the name of Zamites Montanensis from 

 the Montana Coal-field. 1 Ecclesbourne. Ru/ord Coll. 



Genus CYCADOLEPIS, Saporta. 

 [Pal. Fran9- ser. ii. vegetaux, vol. ii. 1875, p. 200.] 



In 1875 Saporta proposed the term Cycadolepis as a convenient 

 generic designation for detached bud scales of cycadean fronds. 

 He defined it as follows : " Squamae coriaceae basi diktats loco 

 insertionis crassse facie interiori plus minusve concavse nudasque, 

 facie autem clorsali convexiusculse, sursum elongate lanceolato- 

 acuminatse, extus ad utmmque latus tomento piloso donatse." 



A small number of fronds have been recorded in which larger 

 or smaller basal scaly structures are preserved ; as a few examples 

 of such, we have Zamites gigas, Morr., as figured by Saporta, 2 

 Podozamites distans, Presl, 3 Otozamites sp., 4 Podozamites lanceolatus 

 minor, Schenk, 5 etc. Among recent cycads we have, in addition 

 to the ordinary pinnate fronds, various forms of smaller scale 

 leaves ; the latter are particularly well seen in Cycas, where an 

 old stem shows a clearly marked alternation of the persistent 

 basal portions of fronds alternating with the bases of scale leaves. 

 These scale leaves are true leaf structures, in which the green 

 assimilating portion of the phyllopodium has not been developed. 



2 



1 (A. 3), Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. vol. xv. p. 494, pi. Ixxxiv. fig. 4. Fontaine 

 omits to mention that Dawson has described a fragment of cycadean frond 

 from the Kootanie series of the Rocky Mountains as a new species, Zamites 

 Montana, a name dangerously near to Z. Montanensis (see Dawson, Trans. Roy. 

 Soc. Canada, 1885, section iv. p. 7, pi. i. fig. 6). 



2 Loc. cit. pi. Ixxxi. fig. 1. 



3 Ibid. pi. Ixxvi. fig. 2. 



4 Ibid. pi. Ixxvi. figs. 3 and 4 [see also Zigno (A.), Flor. foss. Oolit. vol. ii. 



pis. xxxv. and xxxvi.]. 



5 Nathorst (A. 1), Flor. Bjuf, i. pi. xvi. fig. 10. 



