16 FLORA OF LOWER COAL MEASURES OF MISSOURL 



PTERIDOPHYXA. 



FILICALES. 

 TRIPHYLLOPTERIDE.^. 

 EREMOPTERIS Schimper, 1869. 

 Traitt^ pal. veg., Vol. 1, p. 416. 

 In the American Paleozoic flora the genus Eremopteris was given a 

 broad interpretation by Professor Lesquereux,' so as to inchide a number of 

 species referred by other authors to Sphenopteris, Asplenites, and Rhacopteris. 

 It appears in a variety of forms at the base of the Mesocarboniferous, or 

 Carboiiiferous proper, and it seems in its broader appUcation to be directly 

 allied to the Triphyllopterid group, which is characteristic of the base of 

 the Eocarboniferous, and from which it seems to constitute a transition to 

 the Pseudopecopterid group, such as Ps. obhisiloha (Brongn.) Lx., through 

 Eremopteris Cheathami Lx. and other forms found in the Pottsville series. 

 The division of the genus with more delicately dissected pinnae appears 

 to lead through the E. missouriensis type to the Biplothnema furcatum 

 (Brongn.) Stur tj-pe. It is possible that the Missouri plants should be placed 

 in the latter genus as restricted by Zeiller, with which they probably agree 

 as to the bifurcation of the frond. But the same character is, I believe, 

 present in the Triphyllopterid group; and the flabellate, bifid, or trifoliate 

 aspect of our forms leads me to adopt the reference made by Lesquereux in 

 placing them in the genus that is closer to Triphjlhpteris Schimp. 



Bremopteris missoxtriensis Lx. 



PI. V, Figs. 1-3; PI. VL 



1879. Eremopteris missouriensis Lesquereux, Coal Flora, Atlas, p. 9, pi. liii, figs. 8, 



8fl,; text, vol. i (1880), p. 295. 



1880. Sphenopteris {Hymenophyllites) splendens Lesquereux, Coal Flora, vol. i, p. 282 



(pars; non pi. Ivi, figs. 4, 5). 

 1884. Sphenopteris {HiimenophylUtes) spinosa Goepp., Lesquereux, Coal Flora, vol. iii, 



p. 880 (pars). Record in list. 

 1884. An Sphenopteris {Hymenophyllites), fur cata Brongn., Lesquereux, Coal Flora, vol. 



iii, p. 880 (pars)? Record in list. 



Fronds lax, intricate, flexuous, once or twice dichotomous, tri- or 

 ■quadripinnate; rachis of the superior orders flexuous, sometimes subge- 



I Coal Flora, vol. i, 1880, p. 292 et aeq. 



