On the Fructification of tioo Coal-measure Ferns. 513 



peltate attachment of the fruiting pinnules to the pedicels is 

 therefore probably caused by the pinnule lying ujoon the 

 pedicel and concealing the upper part of it. 



rig. 5 exhibits very much the same characters as fig. 4. 



Fig. 6 shows four sporangia, enlarged eighteen times. The 

 form of the sporangia is better shown here than in the 

 previous figures. This figure is part of the fruiting pinnule 

 marked h in fig. 1. The sporangia are linear and apparently 

 blunt-pointed, as shown by that to the left; the other three 

 are probably broken over at their apices. They all show, 

 especially those to the left, an apparent basal contraction 

 which ends in a short pedicel. The sporangia are clearly 

 united to each other and only free at the apex. For the 

 purpose of comparison I have given a copy of a fruiting 

 pinnule of Crossotheca Crepini, as figured by Zeiller (fig. 9). 



The barren pinnules of Crossotheca fimhriata are of very 

 delicate texture, and though they frequently occur on the 

 same slabs as the fruiting specimens they are seldom well 

 preserved. Two fragments are shown in figs. 7 and 8. 

 Barren pinn« have been observed attached to the same 

 rachis as the fruiting pinnae, and in one case one of these 

 fruiting pinnae has a few barren pinnules interspersed with 

 the fruiting ones. 



Crossotheca fimhriata in the barren condition seems un- 

 distinguishable from Calymmatotheca schatzlarensis, Stur.^ 

 The figures given by Stur are somewhat indistinct, especially 

 that showing the fruit of his fern (fig. 2), from which really 

 nothing can be learnt of the form and structure of the fructi- 

 fication. In his description he refers to the imperfect 

 preservation of the fruit of his specimen, but among other 

 remarks mentions that the fruit contains four or five sporangia 

 (valves (Klappen) of an indusium according to Stur), which 

 are directed downwards and only free at their upper part, 

 that the upward directed portion of the fructification to which 

 the supporting stalk is attached is convex, and that the fruit 

 is 2-3 millim. long and 1'2-1'4 millim. broad. Notwith- 

 standing the somewhat imperfect condition in which the 

 fruit is said to be, a very distinct woodcut of the same is 



1 Carbon-Flora, i., -^. 265, pi. xxxviii., figs. 1, 2 (1885). 



