THORE G. HALLE, CLOUGHTONIA, A PROBLEMATIC FOSSIL PLANT 5 
Aphlebia and considered as possibly a stipule-like organ of a 
fern, being comparable with the stipules of Angiopteris evecta. 
The resemblance shown by this same specimen, on the other 
hand, to the Yorkshire fossils readily suggests a comparison of 
the latter with similar stipular organs of ferns of marattiaceous 
affinities. + The Botanical Department of the State Museum of 
Natural History at Stockholm possessed no stipules of Marattia 
or Angiopteris; but, through the courtesy of Geh. Ober-Regie- 
rungsrat Prof. A. ENGLER in Berlin, Colonel D. PRAIN in Kew 
and Prof. WARMING in Copenhagen, Professor NATHORST has been 
able to obtain for the Museum a very complete collection of 
such structures. Of these, only the membranaceous stipules 
of Angiopteris evecta bear, as SEWARD has stated, a certain re- 
semblance to the A phlebia of Sutherland. The structures named 
here Cloughtonia rugosa are very different and, probably, 
cannot be interpreted as fern-stipules at all. The thin, mem- 
branaceous texture is different from anything in the way of sti- 
pules among recent Marattiales. The regular shape of the la- 
mina with its protracted petiolar basal part, and the definitely 
marked margin of the tapering and pointed distal end, are not 
characters typical of fern-stipules. Aphlebia cannot therefore 
be considered as an appropriate designation for these fossils. 
Still less can they be referred, as has been done in a similar case 
by FONTAINE, to Williamsonia, there being not the slightest 
evidence of a connection with suchflowers. Although the clos- 
est resemblance is borne by the Yorkshire leaves to some of 
SEWARD'S specimens of Cycadolepis from South Africa, it does 
not appear justifiable to include them in the latter genus. It 
is not certain that the present fossils are scales at all; far less 
is there any reason to regard them as scale-leaves of cycads, 
especially as there are no similar structures known among living 
representatives of that class. I have preferred, therefore, to 
use a non-committing provisional name, while expecting that 
better material will enable us to establish a more accurate classi- 
fication. At present it is impossible to form a definite opinion 
even as to the morphological nature of these fossils. The scope 
of the present notes is merely to draw attention to these struct- 
ures and to the possibility that they may belong to the floral 
apparatus of the highest gymnosperms and perhaps in some 
respect foreshadow the petals of the angiosperms. 
1* 
