84 AMERICAN FERN JOURNAL 
retaining the fern-like foliage, had already developed 
the seed-bearing habit in a high degree of perfection. 
This group, now known as the Cycadofilices, or better 
as the Pteridosperms or ‘‘seed-bearing ferns,” is the 
subject of this brief note 
Until a few years ago the Paleozoic era used to be 
called the “Age of Ferns,”’ on account of the obvious 
dominance of this type of vegetation. While these 
“ferns,” as they were supposed to be, were extremely 
abundant and exhibited great diversity in form and 
size, it was always a matter of wonder as to why so 
few showed the presence of sori. As the vast majority 
were ey sterile, these had to be aggregated in 
“‘form’’ genera, or so-called genera of convenience, but 
always with the hope that some time the fruiting state 
might be discovered. As we no look back, it is recalled | 
that certain seeds were often found preserved in the 
same beds with the fern-like foliage, but the idea that 
there could be any connection between them was un- 
thought of. These seeds were supposed in large part 
to belong to the Cordiatales, a large group of mostly 
tree-like plants which show kinship with the living 
cycads, conifers, and ginkgos. 
In , however, Prof. F. W. Oliver announced the 
astekishing discovery that the little seeds known as 
Lygenostoma Lomaxi were produced by the well-known 
“fern” from the English Coal Measures known as 
Lyginodendron Oldhamium. This discovery of course 
stimulated investigation with the result that Lyginoden- 
dron is probably the most completely known fossil 
“fern,” though it had taken nearly a hundred years, 
as now turns out, to get the whole story. The foliage 
was named and deseribed in 1829 under the name of 
Sphenopteris H oeninghausi; the stem was named in 
1866 as Dadoxylon Oldhamium, but was transferred to 
Lyginodendron in 1872; the roots, under the name of 
