500 CYCADOPHYTA [CH, 



Saporta describes other species of Cycadeospermum but none 

 of them are of any real importance from a botanical point of view : 

 the same remark applies to the seeds referred by Fontaine 1 from 

 Potomac beds to the same genus, also to many other recorded 

 examples of seeds that afford no decisive evidence of affinity. 



Some specimens described by Compter 2 from the Lettenkohle 

 of Apolda (Thuringia) as Cycadean fruits too imperfect to. be 

 determined with accuracy furnish an additional illustration of 

 the slender foundation on which many of the records of supposed 

 Cycadean reproductive organs are based. 



CYCADOSPADIX. Schimper. 



This name was proposed by Schimper 3 for some French 

 Jurassic fossils, described by Pomel 4 as Crossozamia Hennocquei 

 and C. Moraeana, on the ground that they bear a close resemblance 

 to the megasporophylls of Cycas. Their occasional association 

 with Otozamites fronds suggested a reference to the same parent- 

 plant, but such data as we have point to Otozamites fronds having 

 been borne by plants with the Williamsonia type of flower. 

 Schenk 5 , who figured a specimen of Cycadospadix from France as 

 the inflorescence of a Cycad, expresses the more probable opinion 

 that it belonged to a plant with Cycadites fronds. A Permian 

 species described by Renault as Cycadospadix Milleryensis is now 

 transferred to the genus Strobilites*. 



Cycadospadix Pasinianus Zigno. 



This species, first described from Jurassic strata in Northern 

 Italy 7 , is recorded also from the Kimmeridgian of France 8 and 

 Scotland 9 . Zigno's figures give a fairly accurate representation 

 of the type-specimens in the Padua Museum. The megasporo- 

 phylls, almost identical in shape with those of some recent species 

 of Cycas (figs. 381 ; 392, A C), consist of a broadly lanceolate 

 or triangular limb with deeply laciniate sides terminating a 

 pedicel, or the distal expansion may be preserved without the 



1 Fontaine (89) B. p. 270, Pis. 135, 136. 2 Compter, G. (03). 



3 Schimper (72) A. p. 207, PL LXXII. figs. 1823. 4 Pomel (49) p. 13. 



6 Schenk (67) A. p. 150, PI. xxxm. fig. 10. 6 See page 141. 



7 Zigno (85) p. 156, PL XLII. 8 Saporta (91) p. 466, PL 298. 

 9 Seward (II 2 ) p. 699, PL vn. fig. 18. 



