CARBONIFEROUS. 131 



Pecopteris Glockeriana. 



Ettingsliausen, Steinkf. v. Badnitz, p. 44, pi. xvii. fig. 1. 

 Unger, Synop. Plant. Foss. p. 98. 

 Genera et Species, p. 175. 



Aspidites Glockeri. 

 Goppert, Syst. Fil. Foss. p. 375, pi. xxix. figs. 1, 2. 



Aspidites Glockeri, var. falciculatus. 



Goppert, Syst. Fil. Foss. p. 375, pi. xxix. figs. 3, 4. 



Pecopteris triangularis. 



Brongniart, Prodrome, p. 58. 



Pecopteris angustifida. 



Ettingshausen, Steinkf. v. Radnitz, p. 45, pi. xvi. fig. 1. 



Remarks. Sphenopteris caudata, Lindley & Hutton. The types of this speciea 

 are preserved in the Hutton Collection, Newcastle-on-Tyne, and from their 

 examination I feel quite satisfied as to their identity with P. plumosa, 

 Artis, sp. There is really no character by which they can be distinguished 

 the apparent differences depending entirely on imperfect preservation. 

 In the specimen figured on pi. cxxxviii. of the Fossil Flora, the pinnules 

 are bent back upon each other, which has contributed much to the caudate 

 appearance of the specimen. 



Pecopteris serra, Lindley & Hutton The type specimen of this species is 

 also fortunately preserved in the Hutton Collection. I have examined it, 

 and find it to be only P. plumosa, Artis, sp. (= P. dentata, Brong.). In 

 regard to this species, the authors of the Fossil Flora make the following 

 remark :* " But a small part of the extensive genus Pecopteris is yet published, 

 from all the species of which any figures have been given, this is widely 

 different ; but we are uncertain whether it may not be already named by 

 M. Adolphe Brongniart, in his Prodromus." Their plate is dated Jan. 1834. 



Pecopteris acuta, Brong. The characters on which this species is founded 

 seem to be identical with those of the upper portion of the fronds of P. plumosa, 

 Artis, sp. (P. dentata, Brong.). In P. dentata, according to Brongniart, the 

 veins are dichotomous, and in P. acuta they are simple ; but even in un- 

 doubted specimens of P. dentata the veins are simple towards the upper 

 portion of the frond, as shown by Brongniart's own figures (pi. cxxiii. fig. la 

 and 3a, and pi. cxxiv. fig. c). In one of the figures given by the same author 

 of P. plumosa, Artis, sp., the veins are also represented as simple (pi. cxxi. 

 tig. 16), and, in fact, P. dentata and P. plumosa are generally regarded as 

 different forms of one species. Geinitz has pointed out very fully the 

 relationship of P. plumosa, P. dentata, and P. acuta to each other,t though 

 he does not include P. acuta in his list of synonyms ; but from an examination 

 of numerous specimens, I cannot discover any character by which these three 

 species can be distinguished from each other. 



Pecopteris delicatula, Brongt. A number of specimens of this plant, from 

 the Forest of Wyre, Lancashire, are in the Collection. The only character by 

 which it is separated from P. plumosa is its smaller proportions. The 

 example figured by Geinitz J on his pi. xxx. fig. 1, under the name of 

 Cyatheites dentatus, is the same form as that to which Brongniart gave the 

 specific distinction of " delicatula.'" Zeiller, in his recent paper on the Ferns 

 of the North of France, has also united P. delicatula with P. dentata. In 

 the specimens from the Forest of Wyre, the veins are sometimes simplo, 

 and at other times dichotomous on the same specimen, but the variability 



* Vol. ii. p. 72. 



t Vers. d. Steinkf. in Sachsen, p. 26. 



I Loc. tit. 



Bull. Soc. Geol. France, 3 e ser. vol. xii. p. 201, 1883. 



