54 STUDIES IN GEOLOGY, No. 4 



represent this species. It may be suggested that the Gleich- 

 enia (?) Gilbert-Thompsoni Fontaine 9 from the Knoxville 

 beds of California may represent Weichselia. 



Bommer concluded 10 from his study of Weichselia reticu- 

 lata from Bernissart that the primary pinnae where digitate 

 from the top of a common stipe. He says that the structure 

 of the petiole and stem, the mode of division of the frond 

 and what is known of the synangia, offer analogies with the 

 existing Matoniaceae and Marattiaceae. Zeiller although 

 agreeing in general with Bommer's conclusions gives evi- 

 dence that is fairly conclusive that in the Peruvian species 

 the fronds were tripinnate. More recently Florin xl has 

 studied specimens of Weichselia reticulata- preserved in the 

 Paleobotanical section of the Stockholm Museum. He de- 

 scribes the stomata which indicate xerophytic conditions and 

 are more like those of gymnosperms than those of ferns 

 although they are not unlike those of the existing fern genus 

 Niphobolus Kaulfuss a tropical member of the Polypodiacese 

 abundant in the Indo-Malayan but also represented in South 

 America. 



The last author makes some comparisons with Thinnfeldia 

 and concludes that the question as to whether Weichselia is 

 a fern, pteridosperm or cycadophyte cannot be definitely 

 settled until we have more complete information regarding 

 the fructifications. There is certainly nothing in the super- 

 ficial appearance of the sori of Weichselia peruviana to sug- 

 gest that the plant is not a true fern. 



Occurrence in Peru Jatunhuasi and Vilca near Moya in 

 the Department Junin ; Conocpata in the Department of An- 



9 Fontaine, W. M., Mon. U. S. Geol. Surv., vol. 48, p. 232, pi. 66, 

 fig. n, 1905. 



10 Bommer, C, Bull. Soc. Roy. Bot. Belg., tome 47, pp. 296-304, 

 pi. i, 1910. 



11 Florin, R., Svensk. Botarisk Tidsskrift, Bd. 13, hft. 3-4, pp. 305- 

 312, figs. 1-5, 1919. 



