FLORA OF THE CARBONIFEROUS EPOCH. 



43 



Edinburgh by Hugh Miller, who has described it as above. 

 Lonchopteris has its frond multi-j^innatifid, and the leaflets 

 more or less united together at the base ; there is a distinct 

 midrib, and the veins are reticulated. Cyclopteris (Fig. 29) has 

 simple orbicular leaflets, undivided or lobed at the margin, 

 the veins radiating from the base, with no midrib. Schizo- 

 pteris resembles the last, but the frond is deeply divided into 



Fig. 23. Fig. 25. Fig. 26. Fig. 27. 



numerous unequal segments, which are usually lobed and 



taper-pointed. 



The rarity of Tree-ferns in the coal-measures has often 



been observed, and it is the more remarkable from the durable 



nature of their tissues. Several species have, however, been 



noticed. They are referred to the genus Caulopteris. One 



of them, C. macrodiscus (Fig. 30) has the leaf-scars in linear 



series. Two other species are figured, the one a slender form 



Fio's. 23 to 29 exhibit the fronds of some of the Ferns of the 

 Carboniferous epoch. Fig. 23. Pecopteris (^Alethoioteris) aquilina. 

 Fig. 24. Pecopteris (Alethopteris) heterophylla. Fig. 25. Neuropteris 

 Loshii. Fig. 26. Neurop>teris gigantea. Fig. 27. Neuropteris acuminata. 

 Fig. 28. Sphenopteris affinis. Fig. 29. Cyclopteris clilatata. 



