DESCRITTION OF THE SPECIES. 273 



AVILLIAMSONIA Carr. 



WlI-LIAMSOXIA ViRGINIENSIS, sp. IIOV. 

 Plate CXXXIII, Fif,'8. 5-7; Plato CLXV, I'ig. 5. 



Axis stout, with a broad, deep depression at its suuunit, surrounded by 

 an elevated ridge which has been left by tlie fruit. Bracts in at least two 

 whorls, which alternate with each other, and are situated beneath and 

 around the scar left by the detachment of the fruit, oblong to nan-owly 

 ovate in shape, apparently originally covered with numerous extremely fine 

 hair-like appendages, which, howevei", owing to the accidents of preser- 

 vation, are now often absent. 



Localities : Entrance to Trent's Reach ; fishing hut above Dutch (lap 

 Canal. 



This fossil is rare at the latter locality, and is not uncommon at the 

 former in the layer with Dioonitcs Buchianiis, Frcnelopsis parceramosn, etc. 

 Some of the bracts are smooth and show no traces of the hair-like append- 

 ages. The best preserved specimens, however,, show them very distinctly 

 under a. lens, and to the unaided eye they appear as fine strioe. The bracts 

 were evidently thick and fleshy, for in many cases they appear convex on 

 the surface. 



Von Otto^ gives illustrations of large star-shaped bodies, which he 

 calls Astcrosoma radkiforme. These resemble the Potomac fossils now in 

 question, but they are much larger, and have fewer bracts than W. Vir- 

 giniensis. Von Otto says of these fossils, that in nearly all four specimens 

 found there occur near the star-shaped bodies thread-like little cylinders 

 which wind about and occasionally lie upon the star-shaped bodies. This 

 description would seem to indicate the existence on these bodies ol thread- 

 like appendages like those on the Potomac fossils. These Williamsonia- 

 like fossils of Von Otto come from the upper Quader of the vicinity of 

 Konigstein in Saxony. 



' Additameute ziir Flora des Quadergebirges, pt. 2, PI. II, Fig. 4; PI. Ill, Figs. 1, 2. 

 MON XV IS 



