THE CARBONIFEROUS FLORA. 



115 



their roots are properly roots at all, and not stems 

 of some aquatic plant. Then the structure of their 



FIG. 38. JStigmaria root, seen from above, showing its regular divisions. 

 From "Acadian Geology." 



stems is most puzzling, and their fruit is an enigma, 

 for while some have found connected with them cones 

 supposed to resemble those of 

 lycopods, others attribute to 

 them fruits like those of yew- 

 trees. For years I have been 

 myself gathering materials from 

 the rich coal-formation deposits 

 of Nova Scotia in aid of the 

 solution of these questions, and 

 in the mean time Dr. William- 

 son, of Manchester, and Kenault 

 and other botanists in France, 

 have been amassing and study- 

 ing stores of specimens, and it 

 is still uncertain who may final- 

 ly be the fortunate discoverer 

 to set all controversies at rest, 

 that the true solution consists in the fact that there are 

 many kinds of Sigillarice. While in the modern forests 



FIG. 39. Portion of bark of 

 Stigmaria, showing scars 

 of attachment of rootlets. 



My present belief is, 



