THE ORIGIN OF PLANT LIFE ON THE LAND. 97 



lower classes of the Cryptogams, and with scarcely any that can 

 be referred to the two higher classes of Phaenogarns, so that 

 the vegetation of this period presents a remarkable character 

 of mediocrity, being composed almost entirely of the highest 

 class of the flowerless plants and the lowest class of those that 

 fiower. Of the former there are Tr-e-ferns and vast numbers of 

 herbaceous forms (Figs. 88, 89), great Lycopodiaceous plants, 



Fig. 88.— Trunk of a Devonian Tree-fern {Caulopteris Lockwoodi, Dn ). Gilboa 

 New Vork. One-third natural size. 



immensely better developed than those now existing (Fig. 90), 

 and gigantic Calamites, allied to the Marcs'-tails (Fig. 91)! 

 along with humbler members of the same group (Fig. 95). Of 

 the latter there were Pines of great stature, known to us at 

 present only by their wood (Fig. 92) ; and that other allied 

 trees existed we have evi jnce in numerous seeds which 

 must have belonged to this class (Fig. 93), and in long flag- 



u 



