HALLE, ON THE SPORANGIA OF SOME MESOZOIC FERNS. 11 



Finally Prof. Seward (1914, p. 135) has published some 

 information received from the present writer regarding the 

 discovery of the sporangia of Ruffordia. The observations on 

 which this statement was founded have never been published: 

 the material will be described here. 



Ruffordia Göpperti (Dunk.) Sew. (PI. 2, figs. 1—8; 

 text-fig. 1.) 



The material to be described belongs to a collection made 

 in Russian Manchuria, near the village of Konstantinovskaja 

 in the Ussuri district, by Mr. M. Ivanofp of the Comité géo- 

 logique of Petrograd. In the same locality are found both 

 sterile and fertile specimens. 



A sterile specimen is shown in pi. 2, fig. 1. It agrees 

 well with typical fronds of Sphenopteris Göpperti as figured by 

 Seward (1894, pi. 4; pi. 5, fig. 1.) and by others. 



Fertile specimens are represented in pi. 2, figs. 2 — 3. 

 The habit is best shown by the frond in fig. 2. As in the ma- 

 terial examined by Seward, the fertile fronds or pinnae dif- 

 fer much from the sterile ones. The fertile fronds are at least 

 tri-pinnate, like the latter, but the segments are much shorter 

 and more widely outspread. Thus the fertile fronds do not 

 have the characteristic pseudo-palmate habit of the sterile 

 specimens. The margin of the pinnules is more or less un- 

 dulating and has a general appearance of crispness. In the 

 fertile parts, the laminae are evidently reduced, but the re- 

 duction has not so much affected the breadth of the pinnae 

 or pinnules as their length. 



The specimen shown in pi. 2, fig. 3, is very indistinct, 

 but is no doubt specifically identical. It is this specimen that 

 shows the sporangia most distinctly. 



The exact arrangement of the sporangia cannot be ob- 

 served. They do not appear to be placed in distinct sori, but 

 to be scattered all over the surface of the fertile pinnule (fig. 

 4). Their shape is never clearly shown: only the annulus is 

 quite distinct, with a diameter of 0,25 — 0,30 mm. On the 

 whole, the mode of preservation recalls that of some sporangia 

 of Klukia exilis (Phill.) Racib. figured by Seward (1910, 

 p. 348, fig. 259). 



The annulus is evidently transverse, placed at the apex 



