TRAQUA1RIA, SPOROCARPON. 179 



The thick cylindrical flattened stems are divided by many nodes into very 

 short members with longitudinal waved ribs, which alternate regularly from 

 node to node. The nodes bear impressions of organs which are supposed 

 to be leaf-teeth with flatly rounded extremities. These leaf-teeth according 

 to Stur are free, according to Weiss they are united below into a sheath. 

 A peculiar sculpture observed on the surface indicates according to Stur the 

 presence in each tooth of a sporangium, which glimmers faintly through the 

 surface of the leaf; the whole would therefore belong to the fructifications. 

 But Weiss has been unable to convince himself of this ; he believes that the 

 appearance is due to small folds caused by the firm pressure of the sheath 

 upon the zigzag line connecting the ribs, which unite together in the nodes. 

 Further examination of fresh material must decide these questions. I 

 have no opinion of my own, having had opportunity for a hasty look only 

 at the plant. 



The genus Schizoneura has found its place next to Equisetites since 

 Schimper's ] description laid the foundation of our knowledge of the group. 

 The oldest known species is from the Buntsandstein of the Vosges. A 

 second very closely allied form, S. Gondwanensis 2 , from the Lower Gond- 

 wanas (Trias) of India has since been described and illustrated by numerous 

 figures ; I have seen one specimen of it in the Botanical Department of the 

 British Museum. Two other species are less exactly known, S. Meriani 3 

 from the Lettenkohle and S. Heerensis, Schpr. 4 The stems of Schizo- 

 neura are divided into members and striated ; O. Feistmantel distinctly 

 states that the ridges do not alternate. The long lax cylindrical sheaths 

 which loosely embrace the stem have very short teeth to the upper margin, 

 and being torn in process of time between the fine nerves down to the base 

 they become separated into two or more spreading lobes of unequal breadth, 

 which look like whorls of leaves of some monocotyledonous plant, and have 

 given rise to the name Convallarites as employed by the older authors. 

 Numerous leafless stems and casts with the character of Equisetaceae. and 

 found with the leafy branches in the Lower Gondwanas, have been united 

 by O. Feistmantel with Schizoneura, 



Of the genus Phyllotheca, Brongn. we have in Europe only a few 

 remains in the Oolitic strata of the Southern Alps, and these have been 

 described by Zigno 5 as Ph. Brongniartiana and Ph. equisetiformis. Several 

 other species, among them Ph. australis originally described by Brongniart 6 , 

 are peculiar to the Trias of Australia 7 and the Lower Gondwanas of India. 

 Some other forms have been discovered in the Oolitic strata of Siberia by 



1 Schimper (3), tt. 24-26, and (1), vol. i, p. 282 ; tt. 13, 14 ; Zjttel (1), p. 161. 2 Pal. Ind. 



ser. XII, pt. II. Schimper (1). Nathorst (3), t. i ; Heer (14), tt. i, 2. 



5 de Zigno (1), tt. 7, 8. Brongniart (4), p. 151. T M c Coy (1) ; O. Feist- 



mantel 1 , ju. 



N 2 



