INDIAN JUEASSIG GYMKOSPEEMS. 



73 



coniferous type. Dr. Stopes herself (32) in a recent paper concludes that the so-called 

 Benstedtias are merely the decayed remains of gymnospcrmous types of higher coniferous 

 affinities, and includes them under the name Coniferocaulon Benstedtii. Still more 

 recently Knowlton (12) proposes to substitute the name Benstedtia Benstedti for these 

 types, since, according to him, the rules of nomenclature will not permit Dr. Stopcs's 

 combination of generic and specific terms. Dr. Stopes has replied to this criticism 

 (33) by pointing out that the types variously referred to Benstedtia and Coniferocaulorh 

 do not constitute a genus at all, as they are merely fragments referable to coniferous 

 stems, and that her use of the term Coniferocaulon Benstedtii is merely for the sake of 



convenience and historic interest. 



In the present case, on account of external similarity to these plant-fragments, the 

 block III. "stem" is provisionally referred to the Coniferie under the designation 

 Coniferocaulon sp., that genus being used in Dr. Stopes's sense of the term (32, p. 59) 

 as a convenient and non-committal means of referring to fragments of stems of higher 



coniferous affinities. 



B. Cycadean Remains 



i. Fronds. 



Ptilophtllum, Morris. 



original frond 



Ptilophtllum cutchense, Feistm. 

 Ptilophyllum acutipolium (Oldh. & Morris). 



Block I (PI 9. flg- 3«) shows the remains of a pinnate frond; the pinnae appear as 

 impremons on either side of the rachis, upon which their scars of attachment are to be 

 seen (PI. 8. fig. 1; cf. 19, pi. 21. fig. 5«). This impression was about 9 cms. long 

 before the block was cut and represented probably almost the whole length of the 



_^ since the pinnse decrease in size towards either end of the fragment 



p 13) This frond is figured by Oldham and Morris (19, pl- 21. fig. 3) as 

 miophyllum eutchense (see Feistmantel, 4, P- 13, and 5, pp. 42 & 43, for synonyms). 

 Other examples are distinctly referable to rtilophylhm, but differ somewha from the 

 typical P. cutchense. Peistmantel (4 and 5) unites these varieties a^ tlie Group of 

 Ftilophyllum cutchemer characterized by short oblique pinn^, a little curved, and 

 obtusely acuminate, slightly auriculate at the base, imbricate or contiguous sub- 

 alternately and obliquely inserted on the raehis. At h on the photograph (PI 9. fig^S) 

 is the impression of a frond-apes, while d is apparently the true upper surface of a 

 frond (PI. 9. fig. 3 ; PI 8. fig. 2). The apex of a frond is a so ^lown on PI. 8. fig. 3. 



The frond c seems to be of a different type, and agrees with Peistnaantel s diagnosis of 

 mlophyllum ucutifolium. Morris (4, p. 11), being distinguished rom P. ctahense. Morns, 

 by itf longer, narrower pinna, forming a larger frond. The pmn» are more acuminate 

 and curved ttan in the allied species, and are clearly -Wculate at the upper ba^l 



an=.le. and decurrent at the lower (PI. 8. flg. 5 ; c/". 4, Taf. 1 and Taf. 2. figs. 1-4). 



