CARBONIFEROUS. 55 



FRUCTIFICATIONS. 



I have included here certain small cones, the plants to -which 

 they belong being still doubtful. Some of them are allied to 

 Catamites (Calamocladus and Annularta), but others may belong to 

 Sphenophyllum. 



VOLKMANNIA, Sternberg, 1820. 

 Versuch einer geognostisch-botanischen Darstellungen der Flora der 



Vorwelt, i. fasc. iv. p. xxix. 

 Volkmannia Morrisii, Hooker. 



Volkmannia Morrisii. 

 Hooker, Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. vol. x. p. 199, pi. vii. 1854. 



Remarks. The following is extracted from Sir Joseph Hooker's description 

 of this interesting fossil : 



" It consists of a straight, undivided, apparently nearly cylindrical 

 stem or termination of a branch, nine inches long, gradually tapering from 

 ^ to ^ of an inch in diameter (as compressed), interrupted by seventeen 

 nodes or joints, which bear each a series of tubercles. The internodes 

 are grooved and diminish in length upwards, the grooves alternate with 

 the tubercles, which appear to be placed on the intervening ridges; the 

 number of striae and tubercles is from ten to fifteen on each surface. The 

 lower transverse series of tubercles crosses obliquely the diameter of the stem, 

 as though indicating a spiral arrangement ; this, however, I do not doubt is 

 the effect of unequal pressure during fossilisation, it not being apparent in 

 the seven upper nodes, which are nearly horizontal. The upper node appears 

 to bear a whorl of subulate suberect leaves, half an inch long, pressed against 

 a large, terminal, erect, oblong body resembling a cone. 



"This is no doubt an organ of fructification, but whether of male, female, or 

 hermaphrodite flowers, there are no means even of assuming ; it is 2^ inches 

 long and l inch in diameter, blunt at both ends, and appears to have been in 

 a state of decomposition when embedded. 



" There is an appearance of what is usually (but often very erroneously) 

 termed a bark, extending along the circumference, and for some distance 

 along the axis of the cone, all around ; and this, as well as the surface from 

 which it has been removed, presents obscure traces of hexagonal areolse ; this 

 appearance, however, varies so much according to the light in which the fossil 

 is held, that I cannot place much dependence upon it." 



This unique cone is probably allied to Calamites. There is only a repro- 

 duction in the Collection, but it bears out the characters as mentioned in the 

 original description. I am inclined to think that the cone has not suffered 

 much from decay before mineralisation, as believed by Sir Joseph Hooker, 

 but that it was only in an early stage of development. I cannot form even a 

 conjecture as to what plant this fruit may have belonged. 



Horizon. Lower Carboniferous Limestone Group ; Ironstone midway 

 between the Cannel Coal and Main Limestone. 



Locality. British. Lanarkshire : Carluke. 



STACHANNULARIA, Weiss, 1876. 

 Steinkohlen-Calamarien (Abhandl. z. Geolog. Specialkarte von 



Preussen u. d. Thuringischen Staaten.), p. 1. 

 Stachannularia tuberculata. Sternberg sp. 

 Stachannularia tuberculata. 



Sterzel, Zeitsch. d. Deut. Geol. Gesell. vol. xxxiv. p. 685. 

 Weiss, Steinkohlen-Calamarien, p. 17, pi. i. figs. 2-4, pi. ii figr. 1-3, 5 

 left ; pi. iii. figs. 3-10 and 12. 



