446 CONIFERALES INCERTAE SEDIS [CH. L 



the French stems are recorded from the Uitenhage (Wealden) 

 series of South Africa and the Kimeridge rocks of Sutherland 1 , 

 Scotland, in the former case as Benstedtia sp., and in the latter as 

 Coniferocaulon colymbeaeforme because of the presence of a small 

 pith more suggestive of a Conifer than of a Cycadean branch. A 

 large specimen from Jurassic rocks in India is described by Miss 

 Bancroft 2 as Coniferocaulon sp. ; this agrees very closely in surface- 

 features with the casts from Kent, but an examination of transverse 

 and longitudinal sections demonstrated that the apparent surface, 

 is not the actual surface, and such anatomical data as it was 

 possible to obtain clearly indicated the Coniferous nature of the 

 wood, conclusions in agreement with those reached by Dr Stopes 

 in the case of some English specimens. The reference of these 

 stems to Cycads or Conifers was based entirely on surface-characters 

 and it was recognised that no definite conclusion was possible 

 without anatomical confirmation. Dr Marie Stopes 3 succeeded in 

 obtaining preparations of tracheids from a Lower Greensand cast 

 showing uniseriate and separate bordered pits of the Abietineous 

 type thus disproving a Cycadean affinity. This discovery led to 

 the substitution of Coniferocaulon for Benstedtia, at least as regards 

 the specimens which afforded anatomical evidence; in the French 

 and South African examples no internal structure is preserved. 

 Dr Knowlton 4 pointed out that the generic name Benstedtia should 

 be preferred to Coniferocaulon on the ground of priority and he 

 named the English specimens Benstedtia Benstedtii. Dr Stopes 5 

 replied to this criticism by asking why the Dragon tree, which is 

 merely a partially decorticated piece of badly preserved Coniferous 

 wood, should have a name. Specimens exhibiting distinctive 

 surface-features, whether complete or decorticated and even if 

 they are in some cases at least portions of Coniferous stems, are 

 none the less entitled to some recognition as a matter of convenience. 

 Some excellent illustrations of Benstedtia casts are given by Dr 

 Stopes in her recently published Catalogue of Lower Greensand 

 Plants 6 . 



1 Seward (03) B. p. 34; (II 2 ) p. 690. 



2 Bancroft (13) pp. 72, 85. 3 Stopes (11). 

 4 Knowlton (11). 5 Stopes (IP). 

 6 Stopes (15) p. 159, Pis. xin., xiv. 



