xxxm] 



COKDAITES 



265 



Grand' Eury resuscitated Botryoconus 1 for some spikes from the 



Gard coalfield connected by him with Dory-Cordaites. The 



nature of the seeds borne by the inflorescences has largely influenced 



authors in the choice of a generic name : Carruthers used Cardio- 



carpon while Zeiller 2 speaks of Samaropsis Pitcairniae. The genus 



Cardiocarpon was founded by Brongniart for 



compressed cordiform seeds, but it was not 



until later that their gymnospermous nature 



was recognised. Further reference to the 



nomenclature of seeds of the Cardiocarpon 



type will be found in Chapter xxxv. The 



correlation by Grand' Eury and other authors 



of different species of inflorescences and species 



of Cordaites is frequently based on association, 



and in the absence of more satisfactory evidence 



the safer course is to deal with Cordaitean 



fertile shoots in a general sense. 



(a) Ovulate shoots. These are represented 

 by a considerable number of forms in both 

 European and American localities. In rare 

 cases the compound shoot reaches a length of 

 30 cm. (fig. 479), but it is usually much shorter ; 

 the lateral compact buds may be more or less 

 widely separated : the seeds have long pedicels 

 (fig. 480, A) or appear to be sessile (fig. 480, B) 

 and there may be one or several seeds on a 

 single lateral shoot. The seeds are platy- 

 spermic and, as seen in fig. 480, A, in some 

 inflorescences they show very clearly the 

 Samaropsis features. It would, however, be 



unsafe to assume that all Samaropsis seeds -^ 



^ FIG. 479. Cordaianthus. 



were borne on Cordaitean plants. Among From the Middle Coal 

 other types of seed referred by authors to Measures of Lanca- 



Cordaites are Cardiocarpus, Cordaicarpus, Sarco- re ' ( Manchester 



Museum; nat. size.) 



taxus, Taxospermum, Diplotesta, and Lepto- 



caryon. But in most cases there is no evidence of actual connexion 



1 Grand'Eury (77) A. p. 299; (90) A. p. 330. 2 Zeiller (OO 2 ) B. p. 211. 



