364 



SEQUOIINEAE 



[CH. 



Sphenolepidium Sternbergianum (Dunker). 



This species was originally described by Dunker 1 from North 

 Germany as Musettes Sternbergianus and by later authors placed 

 in Araucarites, Widdringtonites, and other genera 2 . It is impossible 

 to determine the specific limits of this species 3 and S. Kurriamon 

 (fig. 771): the cones exhibit no well-defined dis- 

 tinguishing characters and the chief distinction 

 is the more spreading foliage of the Araucarian 

 or Pagiophyllum type of S. Sternbergianum. As 

 Berry suggests, this species described from the 

 Potomac formation and elsewhere in North 

 America and from several European localities 

 is probably represented in the Lower Cretaceous 

 flora of Greenland under such names as Glypto- 

 strobus groenlandicus Heer &nd Sequoia fastigiata . 

 Some of the English and German fossils attri- 

 buted to S. Sternbergianum are almost certainly 

 examples of Elatides curvifolia. 



Sphenolepidium Kurrianum (Dunker). 



Dunker 4 originally adopted the generic name 

 Thuites; later authors preferred Brachyphylluin. 

 Widdringtonites, Araucarites and other names. 

 Fontaine 5 , who records this species from the 

 Potomac formation, includes in his genus Athro- 

 taxopsis specimens which cannot be distinguished 

 by any features of morphological importance 

 from Sphenolepidium Kurrianum. The leaves are 

 ovate, more or less appressed, agreeing with 

 Brachyphyllum or in some examples intermediate 

 between the type of foliage assigned to Pagio- 

 phyUum and Brachyphyllum. The Wealden speci- 

 men reproduced in fig. 771 is placed in Spheno- 

 lepidium because of its association with branches, 

 identical in habit, bearing cones; if found as an isolated 



FIG. 771. 



lep idium Ku rr id - 

 num. From the 

 Wealden of Sus- 

 sex. (British Mu- 

 seum, V. 2303; 

 nat. size.) 



1 Dunker (46) A. PL vn. fig. 10. 



2 For references, see Seward (95) A. p. 205; Berry (II 4 ) p. 293. 



3 Seward (II 2 ) p. 685. 



4 Dunker (46) A. p. 20. 5 Fontaine (89) B. Pis. cxxxv., etc. 



