RESULTS OF PAL^ONTOLOGICAL RESEARCH 57 



fore do not agree at all with the needles and various 

 foliage of our Gymnosperms but are rather remindful 

 of the parallel-veined ones of the Monocotelydons 

 (e.g. the Liliaceae). 



FIG. 16. RECONSTRUCTION OF A TRUNK or LYGINODEN- 



DRON OLDHAMIANUM, A FERN-LIKE GYMNOSPERM. 



(After Scott.) 



The three smaller branches seen at the top of the 

 figure with contracted apparent leaves are regarded as 

 the inflorescence, with the empty seed-vessels at the ends 

 of the stalks. (After Oliver.) 



Until recently it was a standing expression in all 

 text-books that the Palaeozoic age, and particularly that 

 of the Coal period, formed the epoch of fern growth, 

 i.e. of seedless plants. Kecently, however, a whole 

 series of families which until then, owing to the form 



