1890.] Mr A. G. Seward, On Lomatophloios macrolepidotus. 45 



immediately below the leaf-scars (fig. 4, s) ; on the leaf-scars 

 I did not notice any definite traces of vascular bundle-scars such 

 as are represented in Weiss' figure 1 (this figure is not taken from 

 the specimen in the Bergakademie, but seems to be copied from 

 the one given by Goldenberg) 2 ; the absence of traces of these 

 bunclle-scars is probably accidental, and due to imperfect preserva- 

 tion. The lower parts of the leaf-cushions have a more or less 

 wrinkled appearance, in fact they remind one strongly of the per- 

 sistent petiole bases on the stem of Gycas revoluta. 



Fig. 1 (Plate III.) represents a section taken from Weiss' speci- 

 men. Here we see the form of the leaf-bases as described by 

 Weiss ; in the interior of the spaces which occur in the lower 

 part of the leaf-bases are several Stigmarian rootlets with the 

 central vascular bundles. These appear to be what Weiss took 

 for sporangia ; that they are in reality Stigmarian rootlets I have 

 not the least doubt ; they correspond exactly to those figured by 

 Williamson 3 . 



As is usual with these rootlets, the peripheral cortical layer 

 of parenchymatous tissue is preserved ; also the vascular bundle, 

 the latter being sometimes surrounded by a delicate ring of paren- 

 chymatous tissue. Anyone who has examined a number of 

 sections of coal measure plants cannot fail to be familiar with 

 these ubiquitous rootlets. Various observers have fallen into the 

 error of mistaking these intruded rootlets of Stigmaria for tissues 

 of the plants into which they happened to have bored their way 

 and with which they are in no way organically connected. Prof. 

 Williamson 4 refers to such mistakes made by Prof. Goeppert, who 

 described in his Genres des Plantes fossiles a Stigmaria with 

 bundles in the pith : the same mistake was afterwards made by 

 Sir Joseph Hooker and Mr Binney 5 . Solms-Laubach 6 speaks of 

 the ubiquitous nature of Stigmarian "appendices" and reproduces 

 one of Renault's figures as an illustration. 



In fig. 1 (Plate III.) eight Stigmarian rootlets are seen. 



In fig. 2, the cortical tissues are shewn considerably magnified. 

 At A, the section shews prosenchymatous cells more or less com- 

 pressed and not very clearly defined ; as we pass along the section 

 we come to other prosenchymatous cells in a better state of 

 preservation, farther on these become shorter and less distinct; 

 at B, the cortical tissues end : after a short break we come to the 

 leaf tissue at G, where the cells appear to be parenchymatous ; as 



1 Flora der Steinkohlenformation, Fig. 33. 



2 Flora Saraeponta, PL xiv. 



3 A Monograph on the Morphology and Histology of Stigmaria Jicoides (Palse- 

 ontographical Society, London, 1887), PI. x. Fig. 42. 



4 Ibid. p. 13. 



5 Q. J. G. S., Vol. xv. p. 76. 



6 Sohns-Laubach, loc. cit. p. 294. 



