DESCEIPTION OP SPECIES. 17 



Schizoneura Virginiensis, spec. nov. 



Plate I, Figs. 4 to 6. 



Stem 5 millimeters thick, smooth and finely striate ; internodes 15 to 20 millime- 

 ters long; leaves, number not plainly indicated, probably as many as 24 and more, 

 narrowly linear, 1 to 2£ millimeters wide, narrower at base, and slowly widening towards 

 the middle, with fine nerves apparently 3 to 4 in number. 



The leaves of this small plant are marked by delicate striations which 

 look like slender nerves. The stem also appears striated by fine lines. The 

 leaves of the lower nodes, as shown in Fig. 4, are depressed by crushing. 

 Their natural position seems to be obliquely ascending, but in the very im- 

 perfect condition of the specimens this cannot be certainly established. 

 Only two specimens of the plant have been found, and these are too im- 

 perfect to permit a full diagnosis or sure identification of the fossil to be 

 made out. The leaves were evidently much longer than the parts which 

 remain, and they seem to widen very slowly, being narrowed at base and 

 summit. This plant has some resemblance to the Nematophyllum of the 

 Upper Carboniferous of West Virginia and Southwestern Pennsylvania. In 

 the description of Nematophyllum attention was drawn to its resemblance 

 to Schizoneura Meriani, but the fact was overlooked that Schimper states 

 that leaves of this plant had been seen united, showing that it is a true 

 Schizoneura. 



It is difficult to fix the relationship of this Schizoneura from so small 

 an amount of material. It is clearly very similar both to 8. Meriani of the 

 Trias and to S. hoerensis of the Rhsetic of Europe. Nathorst gives in his 

 "Floran vid Hogonas" figures of Schizoneura hoerensis on plate i, figs. 1 to 4. 

 Fig. 4 might be compared with our plant. 



I do not, however, think that the specimens found indicate definitely 

 the relationship of the plant in question, and in that case it is best to con- 

 sider it, provisionally, as a new species. It might also be compared with 

 Schizoneura lateralis, Schimp., (Equisetum laterale, Lind. and Hut.) of the 

 Oolite of England. Schimper describes this as an Equisetum. Again, the 

 branches and leaves which show the characters above mentioned may be 

 parts of the plant which furnishes the large casts of the supposed Schi- 

 zoneura previously described. 

 2f 



