88 THE FLORA OF THE DAKOTA GROUP. 



Williamsonia. If this analogy is real we would have here a sessile, naturally caducous 

 receptacle detached after the anthesis from an involucre of which it would have occu- 

 pied the center. But here, without better evidence, it is difficult to pass above simple 

 conjecture. 



He advises the publication of this fragmeut under a new generic name. 

 But indeed it woukl l)e impos.sible to give generic characters from sucli a 

 fragmeut, and its relation to Williamsonia being recognized, it is advisable to 

 leave it in that genus until better specimens can afford light on the subject. 



It is essentially from the presence of this organism in the Cretaceous 

 that Saporta objects to its reference to Williamsonia, wliich lie considers as 

 a tme Jurassic genus. Btit we have already a representative of another 

 genus, Encephalartos, which shows, by its presence in the Flora of the 

 Dakota Group, the same peculiar distribution as that of Williamsonia. 

 Moreover, to do this, considering the likeness of our fragment to the fiiie 

 specimen of W. crdacea Heer (Fl. Foss. Arct, vol. 6, 2 Abth., p. .'')9, PI. 

 XII, Fig. 1 ; PI. XIII, Fig. 9), would force the elimination of this last species 

 from the genus. I am even disposed to recognize marked degrees of affinity 

 between the fragments figured from the Dakota Group and some of the 

 splendid figures given by the author of the Flore Jurassiciue, as for example 

 Figs. 1 and 3, PI. ccxl, the first representing a convex tuberculose capitu- 

 lum like the one seen concave by" impres.sion in our Fig. !l ; the second a 

 pedicellate capitulum like the pediceled base of our Fig. Da. The same 

 analogy is remarked in comparing the fragments from Kansas with the 

 figures given by Nathorst (loc. cit., PI. vii, Figs 1 and 3), which show, by 

 restoration, an open capitulum with its mode and point of attachment as 

 represented in Figs. 9, 9a. 



Round or reniform in outline, 4.5'"" broad, 3"" in vertical diameter, 

 narrowed at the base and borne upon a cylindi-ical scaly branch or ])edieel 

 J cm jj^ diameter. The scales upon the branches are short, triangular, about 

 1"" long from their enlarged point of attachment. Tho.se of the cone, of 

 which the internal structure only is seen, are closely imbricated, apparently 

 linear, flat, thickish, placed behind seeds or bearing pods which are falcate, 

 linear, 14"'" long, l..^™" in diameter, transversely undulate at the surface, as 

 in some small seeds. 



Ilaliitat: Ellsworth Comity, Kansas. The specimen is still in the hands 

 of the Marquis Saporta. 



