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212 



DR. AGNES AEBER ON THE 



4. A Description op some Kew Eohms op Lepidostrob 



L.) Lepidostrobtjs Binneyanus, sp. nov. 

 (PL 21. fig. 4; PI. 22. figs. 5-8; PL 24. figs. 18-25; PL 25. figs. 26-30,) 



(1) Material. 



The Binney Collection, Sedgwick Museum, Cambridge, included, amongst its Lower 

 Coal Measure blocks, one which contained, in addition to other fossils, two cones of a 

 Jjej)idostrobus showing certain peculiar features. A series of sections has now been 

 cut from each of the cones *. The following account is based upon these tw^o fructi- 



fications, which may be distinguished as Q. a and Q. /9. They appear to belon 

 species hitherto undescribed, for which I propose the name Lepidostrohus Binneyan 



o 



(2) General Form and Dimensions of the Cone and Sporophylls. 



We can only arrive at very rough measurements for the cone, owing to the fact that 

 both specimens are fragmentary and much crushed. The fructification was slender, 

 with a diameter of about 1'5 cm., of Tvhich the axis occupied 3 mm. The approximate 



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measurements of the upturned limb of the sporophyll are 6 mm. in length and 5 mm. in 

 breadth at the base. It should be remembered, however, that, owing to imperfections 

 of preservation and to distortion of the more delicate parts of the cone, measurements 

 of the length of the upturned limb of the sporophyll of any Lepidostrohus, taken 

 from sections of petrified material, are relatively of little value. They are likely to fall 

 considerably below the actual dimensions, and should merely be accepted as minimum 

 measurements. In order to obtain the full measurement, the sporophyll-limb would 

 not only need to be perfectly preserved and uninjured, but the section would require 

 to traverse the whole length of the limb in the median plane, an event which would 

 rarely happen. 



In Lepidostrohus Binneyanus there was a downward heel at the junction of limb and 

 pedicel, which appears to have sometimes reached a length of about 3 ram. {l.Ji., PL 24. 

 fig. 20). The basal part of the sporophyll lamina was somewhat thick, measuring not 

 less than 1 mm. from dorsal to ventral surface. The sporophyll pedicel, -which was 

 5 to 6 mm. long, was slightly winged {p.w., PL 22. fig. 7 and PL 25. figs. 26 & 26 a), but, 

 owing to the way in which the cones have been crushed, It is exceptionally difficult to 

 determine its exact width. The midrib appears to have been 0-2 to 03 mm. wide, while 

 the wing extended on either side for at least I mm. 



(3) The Detailed Structure of the Cone Axis. 



The slender xylem cylinder of the cone axis is -5 mm. (or less) in diameter, and 

 almost solid {v.c, PL 21. fig. 4). There are, however, a few thin-walled pith elemei 

 {p.) in a central position. These are obliterated by crushing in the transverse secti 



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Q.a.(l-ll)andQ./3.(l-5). 



