4f 



CANADIAN FOSSILS. 



might be included in the generic characters of Haughton's specimens, but 

 \b of different habit and evidently generically distinct. Its leaves and fruit 

 indicate Lycopodiaceous affinities, but it is less close to Lepidodendron than 

 Haughton's specimens, and perhaps connects them with Psilophyton. My 

 specimens were found in the sandstones of both sides of Gasp6 Basin, and 

 in one bed appeared to be in situ, with irregular curving roots in the under- 

 lying bed or under-clay. The stems were found both flattened and cylin- 

 drical, the latter penetrating nearly at right angles to the beds. None of 

 them were more than an inch in thickness, and the greater part only half 

 an inch. The leaves were apparently rigid, and nearly at right angles to 

 the stem, and were seen to radiate through the surrounding sand- 

 stone to the distance of more than an inch from the stem. This, Avith the 

 ribbed stem and nodes with round scars, gives to the erect stem an aspect 

 somewhat resembling that of Calamitea. These latter plants are, ho«?ever, 

 more regularly ribbed, and never show any indication of a slender internal 

 axis. When imperfectly preserved, the leaves resemble spines, in this 

 according with those of Psilophyton. When broken off they leave 

 rounded spots like the areoles of Stigmaria, but without a distinct articular 

 tion. The whorls of leaves in the flattened specimens are often oblique, 

 but this appears to be an effect of pressure, as they are more regular in the 

 cylindrical stems. The stems were not observed certainly to bifurcate, 

 though there are indications of this ; but on one a branch placed nearly at 

 right angles was observed. Certain strobile-like bodies found in the same 

 beds are probably the fruit, and it is interesting to observe that these very 

 much resemble the spikes of fructification from Perry, described by me as 

 Carpolithes sptca^Ms (J. G. S., XVIII., 461), though at that place no 

 stems of the present genus have been found. (Fig. 154.) 



It is impossible to observe a well preserved stem of this species with its 

 leaves attached, without a strong conviction that it represents a synthetic 

 type, combining very diverse forms. Its articulations, ribs and verticils of 

 ; leaves recall the aspect of Oalamites, Asterophi/UUes and Anarthrocanna. 

 Its circular scars have the aspect of aS^i^ waria. The structure of its stem 

 must have been very near to that of Psilophyton. Its leaves are inter- 

 mediate between those of that genus and Lepidodendron. It thus has a 

 most antique and prototypal character, and it is remarkable that like 

 Prototaxitea, it seems in Gaspd to be limited in its upward range to the 

 lower part of the Middle Devonian, as if it were then a form verging on 

 extinction. The only plant of Carboniferous date that I can compare with 

 it is Goeppert's Sagenaria oyclostigma from the " Newer Grauwacke " of 

 Landeshutt ; but this plant is very imperfectly known, and may have been 

 of quite different character. 



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