V. 

 CORDAITEAE. 



THOSE who have paid any special attention to palaeophytology have 

 long since remarked with surprise, that while remains of branches and 

 leaves of Conifers are comparatively rare and uncertain in their occurrence 

 in the Coal-measures, silicified woods of the type of Araucaroxylon are so 

 frequently met with in that formation. No one suspected at the time of 

 the publication of Schimper's ' Paleontologie Vegetale ' that these woods 

 belonged to leaves which occur from the Devonian beds upwards, and are 

 found in the greatest abundance in the upper deposits of the Carboniferous 

 era, covering every surface of stratification with countless impressions. 

 These leaves, on account of their ribbon-like shape and parallel nervation, 

 were considered by most of the older authors, Goppert especially l , to be 

 Monocotyledons, and were named Noggerathia or Cordaites. With them 

 were placed certain round, heart-shaped, or ovoid casts, also very abundant, 

 which were called Cardiocarpus, Rhabdocarpus, &c., according to their 

 form, and were usually compared with fruits of palms. Brongniart 2 also 

 at first considered them to be Monocotyledons, but he soon gave up this 

 view and put them and the casts of seeds just mentioned as a special 

 family side by side with Cycadeae 3 , thus conjecturally recognising their 

 real affinities. Goldenberg 4 and Weiss 5 supported Brongniart on the 

 strength of important observations of their own, the latter indeed with 

 some hesitation and after having previously allowed the group to remain in 

 its traditional position among the Monocotyledons. But opinion, founded 

 only on conjecture, still fluctuated with regard to the nature of these 

 forms, till Grand' Eury 6 by his excellent investigations succeeded in 

 clearing up the important points, and in establishing their claim to be 

 reckoned among Gymnosperms. His results were extended and confirmed 

 by Renault's 7 admirable examination of the inflorescences preserved in the 

 pebbles of Grand' Croix, to which Brongniart 8 assigned the detached seeds 

 occurring in the same material. It is entirely due to the efforts of these 

 authors that the Cordaiteae, which a few years ago were among the most 



1 Goppert (3) and (12). 2 Brongniart (4). * Brongniart (5) and (2). 4 Goldenberg (2). 

 Weiss (1). Grand' Eury (1). 7 Renault (1). ' Brongniart (6). 



