CARBONIFEROUS PLANTS PERU 19 



Bremopteris peruianus sp. nov. 

 PLATES II and III 



Description. Frond habit unknown since the material is 

 all fragmentary, possibly tripinnate. Pinnae large with a 

 stout flexuous axis giving off alternately obovate pinnules 

 which vary from a nearly entire, typically Rhacopteris-like 

 form, to others that approach Sphenopteris in both lobation 

 and venation. Certain smaller pinnules figured, which were 

 found detached and are therefore not positively ascertained 

 to belong to this species are entire, the distal rounded margin 

 with rounded teeth and the venation flabellate. Others are 

 bilobate and of intermediate character. Both of these would, 

 I imagine, be unhesitatingly referred to Rhacopteris. As 

 previously mentioned their relationship to this species is as- 

 sumed and not proven. On the other hand I have brought 

 together on one plate, enlarged sketches of pinnules all of 

 which come from a single pinna. Although these show the 

 same general facies, throughout they differ considerably in 

 the degree of lobation and depth of the intervening sinuses, 

 ranging from forms with 4 palmate, nearly equal lobes, to 

 forms with as many as 7 subequal divisions, and showing 

 every gradation between these two extremes. The texture 

 is coriaceous and the venation is largely immersed in the 

 frond substance, but is Sphenopterid rather than Archseop- 

 terid in character. Similar variations are seen in the forms 

 variously referred by authors to Sphenopteridium, Cyclop- 

 teris, etc. 



In this form the pinnules are much coarser than in the 

 associated Bremopteris whitei and the proximal part of the 

 frond is believed to be missing. As previously mentioned 

 there is great similarity to part of the material referred to 

 Rhacopteris transitionis (Ettingshausen) Stur 10 from the 

 Upper Culm of Moravia and also to Eremopteris crenulata 



10 Stur, D., Culm Flora, vol. i, p. 77, pi. 8, figs. 5-7, 1875 (Abh. k. 

 k. geol. Reichsanstalt, Bd. 8). 



