HALLE, ON TUE SPOEANGIA OF SOME MESOZOIC FERNS. 19 



p. 177; Bower 1908, p. 566). They are, hoAvever, smaller 

 . than those of Dictyophyllum. In regard to the shape of the 

 sporangium Maloiiia shows a greater resemblance to Diciyo- 

 jjhylhim than does Dijpteris, but, as in the latter genus, the 

 annulus is more markedly incomplete than in Dictyojjhylhim .^ 

 The difference in the size of the sporangia and the num- 

 ber of spores, as well as the greater extension of the annulus, 

 precludes an actual classification of Dictyophyllum under 

 either the Dij)teridinae or the Matoniaceae, of which the 

 latter family seems to be the one more closely related. If 

 we as.sume with Bower a phylogenetic series Matonia-Dip- 

 teris it would be natural, however, to range Diclyophyllum 

 with it as an earlier member, characterized by larger sporangia, 

 and a greater number of spores in the sporangium. These 

 characters, as well as the more nearly complete state of the 

 annulus, may point to a relationship also with the Gleichenia- 

 ceae. For practical purposes of classification, it would seem 

 to be best to use the provisional family name Camptopteri- 

 dinae proposed by Nathorst. 



Hausiiiaimica Dunk. 



The genus Hausmannia Dunk., of which Protorhipis 

 Andrae is now held to be a synonym, is generally compared 

 with Dictyophyllum. Like that genus, Hausmannia is now 

 regarded as a member of the Dipteridinae, to which family it 

 was first shown by Zeiller to bear a close resemblance (Zeil- 

 LER 1897, p. 51; compare Seward & Dale 1901, p. 502 and 

 foil.). Since it has become clear (compare above p. 18) that 

 Dictyojihyllum cannot well be brought to the same family 

 as the recent Dipteridinae, the question arises whether the 

 same is the case with Hausmannia. The sporangia of that 

 genus have never been described, its reference to the Dipteri- 

 dinae l)eing founded merely on the habit and the venation 

 of the fronds. In the collections of the Palaeobotanical depart - 



' Christ in his «Farnkräuter der Erde» (1897, p. 335), in accordance 

 \v itli earlier writers, states the annulus of Matonia to be complete, Skwakd 

 (18Ü9, p. 177) shortly afterwards showed it to he incomplete. Notwithstund- 

 ing this, hotii Diels (in Enolkr & Pkantl, vol. 1, pt. 4, p. 343) and Knü- 

 I.EB (Syllabus, p. 07) persist in speaking of tlie annuhus an complete. In a. 

 {;r<!ttt number of sfiorangia which I have examinetl I have always found the 

 unnuluH to bo distinctly incoinploto in nccordanco with Sewabd's statement. 



