XXXIII] CORDAITES 233 



Cordaites borassifolius (Sternberg). 



The leaves of this species, originally referred to Flabellaria 1 , 

 resemble those of C. principalis but differ in the ovate-lanceolate 

 and less obtuse apex and in the presence of only one or rarely 

 two finer striations between the stronger ribs. Corda's drawing 2 

 affords a good illustration of the crowded spiral disposition of 

 the foliage comparable with that on an Agathis shoot. The 

 lamina is usually 4 8 cm. broad but in exceptional cases may 

 reach a breadth of 12 cm. The species occurs in the Coal Measures, 

 especially in the Westphalian series and in Permian rocks. 

 Feistmantel 3 unites with this type Cordaianthus Pitcairniae (fig. 

 480, A), but as in other cases there may be a confusion between 

 C. borassifolius and C. principalis. Leaves described by Les- 

 quereux as C. communis^ are, as White says, not distinguished 

 by any well-marked characters from this species. White 5 figures 

 some good examples of C. borassifolius from Missouri, reaching 

 in one case a length of 40 cm., showing on the lamina the fructi- 

 fications of a fungus, Hysterites cordaitis 6 Grand'Eury. The leaves 

 described from Canada and the United States as C. Robbii 7 Daws, 

 are closely allied to if not identical with Sternberg's type. Among 

 other species differing in no definite character from C. borassi- 

 folius is C. lancifolius described by Schmalhausen 8 from the 

 Permian of Russia. 



Cordaites lingulatus Grand'Eury. 



The leaves of this species 9 are characterised by the obovate 

 lamina and bluntly rounded or almost truncate apex; it affords 

 a good illustration of the uncertainty of the ribbing as a diagnostic 

 character. The lamina of a well-preserved specimen from the 

 Blanzy coalfield described by Zeiller 10 reaches a length of 35 cm. 

 and a breadth of 10 llcm. decreasing to 4cm. at the base 

 (fig. 467). In the lower part of the lamina Zeiller describes the 



1 Sternberg (23) A. PL xvm. 2 Corda (45) A. PL xxiv. fig. 8. 



3 Feistmantel (72) p. 293. 4 Lesquereux (78). 



5 White (99) B. p. 260, Pis. in. xvi. XLVI. 



6 Zeiller records the same fungus on leaves of Cordaites (Noeggerathiopsis) 

 Hislopi from Tonkin; Zeiller (03) B. p. 151. 



7 Stopes (14) p. 82. 8 Schmalhausen (87) PL vi. 

 9 Grand'Eury (77) A. p. 218, PL xx. figs. 14. 



10 Zeiller (06) B. p. 182, PL XLVI. ; Grand'Eury (90) A. PL vn. figs. 1, 2. 



