332 CARDIOCARPALES [CH. 



nucellus, and at a higher level this breaks up into several nucellar 

 strands. Renault thinks that Aetheotesta is the seed of Dolero- 

 phyllum, but there is no proof of any connexion. The presence 

 of large spaces in the sarcotesta may be interpreted, as Renault 

 suggests, as evidence of adaptation to dispersal by water. 



Eriotesta. Brongniart. 



Brongniart 1 instituted this genus 2 on an incomplete transverse 

 section of a seed from Grand'Croix, 8 mm. in diameter, which he 

 called Eriotesta velutina, characterised by a ribbed and probably 

 octagonal testa bearing numerous elongated hairs over the whole 

 surface. The material is, however, too meagre to throw any 

 light on the important features of the seed. 



Gaudrya. Grand' Eury. 

 Gaudrya trivalvis Grand' Eury. 



The generic name Gaudrya? was proposed for two petrified seeds 

 from the Gard coal-field briefly described as G. trivalvis, the type- 

 species, and G. lagenaria. The testa of the former species shows 

 signs of splitting along three equidistant lines ; it consists of a sarco- 

 testa enclosing an endotesta with six longitudinal ribs : Grand'Eury 

 speaks of lacunae between the endotesta and nucellus which he 

 regards as spaces in a tissue which made the seed buoyant and 

 facilitated dispersal by water. It is not clear whether the nucellus 

 and integument were originally connected or laterally free: the 

 lacunae may be the remains of an inner flesh and not spaces in 

 a spongy tissue. The genus is radiospermic and characterised by 

 a long micropyle and a broad pollen-chamber. On the available 

 evidence it is difficult to assign the specimens to their systematic 

 position, but the genus is probably a member of the Trigonocarpales. 



III. CARDIOCARPALES. 



Platyspermic seeds for the most part belonging to Cordaitalean 

 plants and agreeing in their plan of organisation, even more 



1 Brongniart (74) p. 256, PL xxm. figs. 4, 5; (81) p. 27, PL C, figs. 4, 5. 



2 Zpiov, wool. 



3 Grand'Eury (90) A. p. 308, Pis. iv. fig. 12, vr. fig. 5. 



