CBYrTOMERITES. 287 



Cryptomerites divaricatus, Bunbury. 



[Quart. Jouru. Geol. Soc. vol. vii. p. 190, pi. xiii. figs. 4, 45, 1851.] 



1851. Cryptomerites P dU aricatua, Bunbury, Quart. Jouru. Geol. Soc. vol. vii. 



p. 190, pi. xiii. tig. 4. 

 1854. Cryptomerites divaricatus, Moms, Brit. Fom. p. 6. 

 1864. Cryptomerites': divaricatus, Leckenby, Quart. Jouru. Geol. Soc. vol. xx. 



p. 77. 



1875. Cryptomerites divaricatus, Pbillips, Geol. Yorks. p. 230, ligu. 62. 

 ". rigithu, ibid. p. 231, ligu. 63. 



1876. PaehyphyUum [Cryptomerites) divaricatum, Feistmantel, Pal. Ind. pi. x. 



fig. 1. 



1877. Cryptomerites divaricatus, Labour, Illustrations Foss. Plants, pi. lvii. 

 1890. Cryptomerites divaricatus, Scheuk, in Zittel, p. 280. 



C rigidus, ibid. p. 280. 

 1892. Cryptomerites divaricatus, Fox-Strangways, Tab. Foss. p. 137. 

 C. rigidus, ibid. p. 137. 



Type-sjxeimen. The original of Bunbury's figure is in tho 

 Leckenby Collection, Cambridge (Xo. 303). 



In his description of the two specimens from the collection of 

 Dr. Murray on which the species was founded, Bunbury gives the 

 following diagnosis of the vegetative characters of the plant: 



"The main axis is stout, straight) and rigid; the branches and 

 branchlets spread widely and stiffly, having a rigid and wiry 

 aspect, although the branchlets are very slender and somewhat 

 zigzag. Leaves apparently two-ranked, mostly alternate, but 

 placed at very irregular intervals and often nearly opposite ; they 

 are compressed sideways, and taper regularly from the vertically 

 dilated decurrent base to a sharp point ; are of rigid appearance, 

 most commonly straight, sometimes decidedly incurved ; have no 

 prominent lateral rib or angle, but are rather faintly and irregularly 

 striated, perhaps in consequence of the shrinking of their tissue. 

 Those towards the base of each twig are often rather stouter than 

 the rest." 



Bunbury compares the specimens with Cryptomeria japonica, but 

 he also recognizes a resemblance to Araucaria ezcelsa, R. Br., and 

 A. Cuniiiiigliamii, Ait. 



Xathorst 1 has drawn attention to the resemblance between 

 Cryptomerites divaricatus and the sterile branches of some forms of 



1 Xatborst (80 1 ), p. 72. 



