28 



CANADIAN FOSSILS. 



28. ASTEROPHYLLITES LATIFOLIA, Dn.— (PI. V, Figs. 50 to 53.) — J. G. 



S., XVIII, 311 ; PI. XIII, Fig. 17.— M. D., St. John, New Bruns- 

 wick. 



*' Stem somewhat slender, with enlarged nodes. Leaves oblong-lanceolate, 

 about thirteen in a whorl, one-nerved, longer than the internodes. 

 Length of leaves varying from one-fourth of an inch, near the 

 ends of branches, to an inch or more. Strobiles cylindrical, with 

 oval spore cases and narrow pointed bracts." 



Numerous additional specimens of this beautiful species are in Prof. 

 Hartt's collections. They show that the whorls of leaves were borne on 

 branchlets attached close to each other in a pinnate manner, on a jointed, 

 striate and apparently woody stem. With the leaves are strobiles or spikes 

 of fructification, having whorls of narrow pointed scales apparently cover- 

 ing oval spore-cases. On the same surfaces are also dense leafy bodies, 

 (Fig. 62) which I regard as the undeveloped extremities of stems or 

 branches. All these parts are perfectly parallel to those of Aaterophyl- 

 litea foUosua, L. & H., of the Carboniferous, of which this species may 

 be regarded as the Devonian representative, differing, however, in the 

 number of leaves in a whorl, and slightly in the form of the leaves, and 

 the habit of growth. , 



29. ASTEROPHYLLITES ACICULARIS. Dn. — (PI. V, Figs. 54 to 57. — 

 J. G. S., XVIII, 310 ; PI. XIII, Fig. 16.— M. D., St. John, New 



Brunswick. 



-lir-)- 



i^J;>i 



*' Stems slender, striated, thickened a', the nodes, leafy. Leaves one-nerved, 

 linear, slightly arcuate, ten to fifteen in a whorl, longer than the 

 internodes. Length of leaves one-half to three-fourths of an inch. 

 Strobiles small, oval, with acicular oracts." 



In some of Mr. Hartt's specimens, this and the last species are asso- 

 ciated in such a manner on the same slabs as to suggest a suspicion 

 that they may have been portions of one species. I have failed, however, 

 to trace any connection or intermediate gradations, and, on the other hand, 

 there are organs of fructification associated with the present species which 

 are quite distinct from those of the last. They are small oblong strobiles 

 with narrow leaves or scales, and sometimes in groups of two and three 

 together. C^igs. 65, 66.) 



The specimens recently obtained show that this species was similar in 

 its habit of growth to the last (Fig. 54), and it grew apparently in the 

 same places. 



