XLIl] PSYGMOPHYLLUM 79 



PSYGMOPHYLLUM. Schimper. 



This generic name 1 was instituted by Schimper 2 for large 

 cuneate leaves (figs. 665 667) from Upper Carboniferous and 

 Permian rocks that had previously been included in Sternberg's 

 genus Noeggerathia : the type-species is Noeggerathia flabellata 

 Lind. and Hutt. 3 Psygmophyllum is thus defined by Schimper: 

 " Folia pinnatisecta, pinnis erecto-patentibus, e basi valde angustata 

 flabelliformis, longitudina liter flabellatim plicatis, plus minus 

 profunde pinnatisectis vel margine lobatis seu crenatis; nervis 

 pluries dichotomis, erecto-radiantibus.' Among other species 

 referred by Schimper to Psygmophyllum are Noeggerathia expansa 

 and N. cuneifolia from Permian beds in the Ural mountains 

 figured by Kutorga 4 , Brongniart and later authors. In 1878 

 Saporta 5 published a note giving the results of an examination 

 of Brongniart's specimens: he expressed the opinion that these 

 species are portions of compound fronds comparable with Eremo- 

 pteris, differing morphologically from Psygmophyllum flabellatum 

 which he regarded as a shoot bearing simple leaves. He also 

 pointed out that in the Ural fossils the leaflets have a more or less 

 well defined midrib in contrast to the regular flabelliform dicho- 

 tomous venation in the leaves of the English species, P. flabelli- 

 forme : the latter he assigns to the genus Ginkgophyllum previously 

 established for a Permian species, G. Grasserti 6 , consisting of an 

 axis bearing spirally disposed cuneate and deeply divided leaves 

 (fig. 669) very similar to some of the older Baiera leaves; while 

 Schimper's genus Psygmophyllum, is applied to the two Russian 

 species P. expansum and P. cuneifolium. Saporta included a 

 third Ural species in Psygmophyllum, P. santagoulourensis. An 

 examination of some specimens of Brongniart's Noeggerathia 

 expansa in the British Museum leads me so far to agree with 

 Saporta in the opinion that some of the specimens referred 

 to that species are generically distinct from P. flabellatum. 

 Schmalhausen's figures of the Ural species, which he refers to 



1 \f/vyij.a, a fan. 2 Schimper (70) A. Vol. n. p. 192. 



3 Lindley and Mutton (32) A. Vol. i. Pis. xxvin. xxix. 



4 Kutorga (44); Brongniart (45) B. PI. E; Schmalhausen (87) Pis. m., iv. 

 See also Arber (12) p. 401. 



5 Saporta (78) ; (78 2 ) ; (78 3 ). 6 Saporta (75). 



