AXDROSTROBUS. 109 



Genus ANDROSTROBUS, Schimper. 



[Trait, pal. veg. vol. ii. p. 199, 1870.] 



Schimper has thus defined the genus: "Amenta cycadeacea 

 antherifera, cylindrica, e squamis imbricatis, latere postico 

 antheras sessiles ferentibus elformata." 



A sufficient definition of Androstrobm, would be to speak of 

 the genus as a convenient term to apply to such fossils as 

 resemble more or less closely the male flowers of recent cycads, 

 and which appear to belong to the Cycadacece. 



The genus was founded on a specimen originally described by 

 Saporta from the Upper Bathonian of Etrochey as A. zamioides, 

 but afterwards renamed A. Balduini 1 after the discoverer of the 

 specimen, the latter specific term being considered more suitable 

 as not suggesting such a definite resemblance to a particular form 

 of cycad. Saporta's figures show the outline of several pollen- 

 sacs between the spirally arranged staminal leaves, attached 

 apparently in the same manner as in recent species. This 

 author describes another and more imperfect specimen of a male 

 cone, under the name Androstrobus (Zamiostrobus) Guerangeri;* 

 the same specimen having been previously referred to by 

 Brongniart 3 as an undoubted example of a male cycadean 

 flower. Saporta compares this fossil with the genus Dioon, but, 

 as Solms-Laubach 4 has suggested, there seems to be but slender 

 grounds for such a comparison. The specimens described by 

 Nathorst 5 and Heer 6 respectively as Androstrobus borealis and 

 A. Sibiricus, are far from satisfactory, and cannot be accepted 

 as entirely trustworthy records of this genus. In addition to 



1 Pal. FranQ. vol. ii. p. 209, pi. cxv. figs. 1 and 2. 



2 Ibid. p. 37, pi. Ixxviii. figs. 1-3. 

 s Tableau, p. 64. 



* Loc. cit. p. 90. 



5 (A. 1), Flor. Hoganas, p. 49, pi. ii. figs. 12 and 13, and pi. ii. (Helsingborg) 



figs. 15 and 16. 



6 Fl. foss. Arct. vol. iv. pt. ii. p. 47, pi. iv. figs. 14 and 15. 



