70 LYCOPODITES. 



habit of the plant, as well as the arrangement and thin texture 

 of the leaves, and the probable presence of two kinds of leaves, 

 all point to a comparison with recent species of Selaginella. 

 Nathorst, 1 on the other hand, has referred to Lycopodites falcatus 

 as a representative of the Lycopodium type of plant. 



Such examples of Lycopodiaceous plants as have been described 

 from foreign Hesozoic localities do not offer any close resemblance 

 to the English species. A species figured by Heer 2 from the 

 Jurassic rocks of Siberia as Lycopodites tenerrimus is characterized 

 by narrower leaves, and agrees closely with Taxodium gracile? 

 described by the same author. A few specimens figured by 

 Oldham & Morris 4 from the Jurassic rocks of the Rajmahal Hills 

 as Aramarites (?) gracilis, and afterwards placed in the genus 

 Cheirolepis by Feistmantel, may be compared with Lycopodites* 

 Feistmantel 5 calls attention to the similarity of the Indian and 

 British fossils, but suggests that both should probably be placed 

 in the Coniferse rather than in the genus Lycopodites. There 

 can be little, if any, doubt as to the Lycopodiaceous nature of 

 Lycopodites falcatus, with which the Indian species appears to be 

 closely allied. 



The York Museum contains an unusually good example of 

 Lycopodites falcatus. Fragments are met with also in the Scar- 

 bonnigh, Cambridge, and other collections of Inferior Oolite plants. 



39,314. Figured by Lindley & Hutton (33), pi. Ixi. 



The drawing in the Fossil Flora gives a fairly accurate idea 

 both of the habit of the plant and of the form of the leaves. 

 The slender axis is repeatedly forked, and bears apparently two 

 rows of alternately disposed leaves. The leaves, which are in 

 the form of carbonaceous films on a sandy shale, are not preserved 

 sufficiently well to enable one to describe them in detail; they 

 are broadly falcate in form, about 4 mm. in length, with an 

 acute apex directed upwards and slightly inwards. At the tip of 



1 Nathorst (80), p. 54. 



2 Heer (78), ii. pi. i. fig. 7 ; and (77), ii. pi. xv. figs. 2-8. 



3 Ibid. (78), iii. pi. viii. fig. 32, etc. 



4 Oldham & Morris (63), pis. xxxiii. and xxxv. 



5 Feistmantel (77 1 ), p. 140. 



