106 DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE 



large round isolated bordered pits, a few smaller pits in tan- 

 gential walls of late-formed wood. Small amount of wood- 

 parenchyma round resin-canals, and also isolated in the wood. 



Small resin-canal in each primary bundle and scattered 

 singly throughout secondary wood, vertical and horizontal. 

 Epithelial lining very thick-walled and pitted. Medullary rays 

 uniscriate ; and multiseriate with resin-canals. All the ray-cells 

 thick-walled and pitted, " abietinean pitting " very noticeable, 

 pits of a few elements large and simple, chiefly in groups of 

 several roundish small pits per tracheid-field. Ray-tracheids 

 conspicuous, very irregular in shape and size, walls irregularly 

 thickened but not toothed, small round bordered pits irregularly 

 placed. 



HOUIZON. Kentish Rag, Lower Greeusand. 



LOCALITY. Near Maidstone. Kent. 



TYPE. 38353 and sections cut from it, British Museum (Nat. 

 Hist.). 



FINDER. W. H. Bensted, 1858; slides cut, 1912. 



DESCRIPTION. This new species is represented by a small 

 petrified stem. About 3 cm. in diameter is petrified, but, as the 

 outer rin<;s of wood are worn off much more on one side than 

 on the other, the stem could not have been less than 6 cm. in 

 diameter when alive. The pith is preserved, and in two of the 

 sections a small branch, like the main one, is being given off. 

 No bark or other organs are present. The plant is represented 

 by two short segments, which are evidently part of the same 

 stem. Some of the coarse, light-coloured, granular matrix 

 remains attached to the specimens, which externally do not show 

 much of the wood-fibre. The specimens aie fairly well sili- 

 cified *, and black in texture where cut across. 



TOPOGRAPHY OF THE STEW. The pith is large, 3*5 mm. in 

 diameter, circular in main outline, star- shaped with numerous 

 small points coming between the primary wood-bundles. 



* I describe the woods as " silicified " when they appear to be at least 

 partly petrified in silica, though the variability in the proportions and 

 chemical nature is probably considerable. It has not been possible so far 

 to have analyses of the various specimens made, though the subject would 

 be interesting for special research. Fliche (1896, pp. 239, 240) indicates 

 the complexity of the mineralisirg medium in some French specimens of 

 Albiun age. 



