142 BEXIfETTITES. 



bases. Between the petioles there appears to have been a fairly 

 wide space occupied by ramenta. A side view of the specimen 

 shows the inward prolongation of some of the petioles, and 

 demonstrates that the so-called bases as seen on the surface 

 simply represent the level in the leaf armour to which dis- 

 organization has extended. The inner face of the block is probably 

 the outer surface of the wood. No fructification seen. Eccles- 

 bourne. Rufford Coll. 



Bennettites Gibsoniaims, Carr. 



1851. Clathraria Lyellii, Mantell, Petrifactions, p. 46. 



1854. Clathraria Lyellii, Mantell, Medals, vol. i. (edit. 2), p. 163. 



1854. Clathraria Lyellii, Mantell, Geol. Excurs. I. Wight, p. 214. 



1870. Bennettites Gibsonianus, Carruthers, Trans. Linn. Soc. vol. xxvi. p. 700. 



1874. Bennettites Gibsonianus, Schimper, Trait, pal. veg. vol. iii. p. 559. 



1878. Bennettites Gibsonianus, Carruthers, in Dixon's Geol. Sussex, p. 281. 



1890. Bennettites Gibsonianus, Solms-Laubach, Bot. Zeit. 1890, p. 789, pis. 



ix. and x. 



1891. Bennettites Gibsonianus, Solms-Laubach, Annals Bot. vol. v. p. 419, 



pis. xxv. and xxvi. 

 1894. Bennettites Gibsonianus, Lignier, Mem. Soc. Linn. Normandie, vol. 



xviii. p. 76. 

 1894. Cycadeoidea Gibsoni, Ward, Biol. Soc. Washington, vol. ix. p. 80. 



Type. Portions of a large block showing internal structures. 

 British Museum and Kew. 



The specimens on which Carruthers founded this species are 

 recorded by him as of Lower Greensand age, and Solms-Laubach 

 has since confirmed this determination. 1 The examples of B. 

 Saxlyanus are regarded as Wealden, and were obtained from Brook 

 Point, in the Isle of Wight ; B. Gibsonianus was found in Luccomb 

 Chine, Isle of Wight, by Mr. Gibson. Some of the specimens 

 which Carruthers has referred to the present species are apparently 

 from Brook, and from the same beds as B. Saxbyanus, 



Carruthers defines the species as follows : 



"Trunk compressed, elliptical, with small medulla, and a thick 

 subcontinuous woody cylinder ; vascular bundles passing almost 



Solms-Laubach (2), p. 429. 



