

XLVin] PITYOSTROBUS 387 



and believes it to be more closely related to Abies. The cone-scales, 

 as seen in fig. 780, show their double nature, and on the semini- 

 ferous scale are two ovules provided with wings, w. The ovules 

 are immature and there is a small space in the middle of the endo- 

 sperm (fig. 780, e). 



Pityostrobus (Pinites) sussexiensis (Mantell). 



This Aptian (Lower Greensand) species, originally named by 

 Mantell Zamia sussexiensis 1 and afterwards referred by Carruthers 2 

 to Pinites, has recently been more fully described by Dr Stopes 3 

 under Pinostrobus. The cone, 14 cm. long and nearly 5 cm. in 

 diameter, bears overlapping scales with a thickened, curved, distal 

 margin 2 cm. broad and, on the exposed surface of the specimen, 

 1-3 cm. deep. The seeds, two on each scale, have a corrugated 

 stone-layer in the testa and bear massive, broad wings. A section 

 through the middle of a scale shows an irregularly scattered double 

 set of variously orientated vascular bundles and resin-canals. The 

 species closely resembles Pinus excelsa and P. Strobus and is con- 

 sidered by Dr Stopes to occupy a position between these two types. 



The inference to be drawn from this and several other cones 

 from Lower Cretaceous strata is that Abietineous cones having 

 more or less flat scales as seen on the surface were more abundant 

 in Europe in the early Cretaceous forests than those in which the 

 distal ends of the scales are rhomboidal as in Pinus Pinaster. 



Pityostrobus oblongus (Lindley and Hutton). 



The type-specimen, a water- worn cone from Dorsetshire, pre- 

 sumably from Lower Greensand rocks, was described by Lindley 

 and Hutton as Abies oblonga*: it was assigned by some authors to 

 Pinites. Williamson 5 gave an account of a cone from Sidmouth in 

 Devonshire, which he referred to Pinites oblongus, though Dr Stopes 6 

 expresses a doubt as to the identity of his specimen with that 

 described by Lindley. Schimper 7 employs the name Cedrus and 

 Goeppert assigns the species to Abietites 8 . It is impossible to 

 determine the position of the specimen represented in fig. 781 

 among the Abietineae. 



1 Mantell (43) p. 34. 2 Carruthers (66 2 ) p. 541, PL xx. figs. 5, 6. 



3 Stopes (15) p. 123, Pis. x., xi. 4 Lindley and Hutton (35) A. PI. 137. 



5 Williamson (86). 6 Stopes (15) p. 135. 



7 Schimper (72) A. p. 299. 8 Goeppert (50) p. 207. 



252 



