14 



MARATTIACEAE 



[CIl. 



is actually prevalent in those early fossil Ferns which are referred to a 

 Marattiaceous affinity. 



The Ferns so recognised have been 

 enumerated and described with full 

 references to the literature by Seward 

 {Fossil Plants, ii, p. 395). It will 

 therefore suffice here to describe a few 

 of the best-known examples with a view 

 to their comparison with the fructifica- 

 tions of living Marattiaceae. The genus 

 S CO lecopter is \nc\\\des plants with sessile 

 or shortly pedunculate sori of three to 

 six sporangia, which are united below 

 but separate above, and extended into 

 more or less elongated beaks (Fig. 

 406, D). The Marattiaceous character 

 of this fructification is unmistakeable, 

 and it has been pointed out by Stras- 

 burger {Jenaiscke Zeitschrift, 1874, 

 p. 87) that S. elegans Zenk. shows 

 features connecting it with Marattia 

 as regards the form of the sporangia, 

 and with Christensenia in their circular 

 disposition in the sorus, while the out- 

 line of their upper free portion would 

 point to Angiopteris : in dehiscence it 

 compares with all three, but more 

 especially with Marattia. It is in fact a 

 type which unites in itself the charactfc 5 

 of various living genera, though the 

 number of sporangia is smaller than in 

 any of them. 5. elegans Zenk. is from 

 the Lower Permian of Saxony, .S". 

 polymoi'pha Brongn. is from the Upper 

 Coal Measures. 



In Asterothcca, a fossil from the 

 Coal Measures which is believed to be 

 identical with Hazvlea (Fig. 406, B, E), 

 each sorus has 3-8 sporangia in close 

 apposition whilst young, but separating 

 and diverging widely when mature. The peripheral wall is strongl}' convex 

 and shows no annulus. The mode of dehiscence was bv radial slits. 



Fig. 406. Fructifications from the Carboniferous 

 formation. A, Senftenbei-gia ophiodermatica: 

 to tlie right the position of the sporangia on 

 both sides of the median nerve : to the left a 

 single sporangium, seen from above. B, Haivlea 

 miltoni: to the right a pinna with. sori on the 

 extremities of the lateral nerves : to the left a 

 single sorus more highly magnified. C, Oligo- 

 carpia lindsayoides, showing position of the 

 sori. D,Sco/ecopferis polyniorpha'&royign.: to 

 the left a pinnule showing the position of a 

 sorus in transverse section : to the right a 

 longitudinal section of a sorus in which the 

 sporangia are united below with a columnar 

 receptacle. E, Asterotheca Siernhergii : to the 

 left the pinnule with sori : to the right a side 

 view of a sorus, and a sorus in radial section. 

 ZJand £, diagrammatic. (All Figs, after Stur. 

 from Solms-Laubach.) It is possible that 

 some of these may really be Pteridosperms. 



