XXXV] CORDAICARPUS 355 



characters too indistinct to be reproduced in the natural-size 

 drawing. The flat border represents the sclerotesta. The seed 

 shown in fig. 502, D, from the Westphalian series of Warwickshire 

 belongs to the same species or is a closely allied type: the faint 

 suggestion of reticulation on its surface might be regarded as a 

 reason for referring it to C. areolatus Boul. 1 , a form characterised by 

 a reticulation on the testa, described by Zeiller 2 and other authors. 

 This reticulation is, however, in some cases at least, formed by 

 crumpling and splitting of the superficial carbonised film into more 

 or less regular meshes : the figured specimen occurs with several 

 other seeds of the same type, most of which have a smooth surface. 

 Dr Kidston tells me that a recent critical examination of seeds 

 in his collection leads him to regard some specimens (e.g. fig. 502, 

 D) previously referred by him to C. Cordai as identical with Carpo- 

 lithes membranaceus Goepp. 3 



FIG. 505. Cordaicarpus Cordai. Cuticle of the testa. (Kidston Collection.) 



The photograph reproduced in fig. 505 shows the result of 

 chemically treating the carbonised cuticle of a seed of Cordaicarpus 

 Cordai, a method little used as yet in the case of Palaeozoic plants 



1 Boulay (79) p. 34. 



2 Zeiller (88) A. PL xciv. fig. 12 ; Kidston (11) PI. v. figs. 57 ; Arber (14) p. 100. 



3 Berger (48) PL n. figs. 19, 20. 



232 



