236 Mr. Witham on the Lepodidendron Harconrtii. 



No. IX. — On the Lepidodendron Harcourtii. By Henry Witham, Esq., 



F. G. S„ &c. 



Read, March 19, 1832. 



In the month of January, 1832, Mr. Phillips, of York, having sent me a 

 fragment of a Lepidodendron, which had been presented to him by the 

 Rev. C. G. V. Vernon Harcourt, rector of Rofhbury, whose zeal 

 and activity have induced me to take the liberty of naming this fossil 

 plant after him, I felt anxious, by means of slicing the stem, to ob- 

 tain an insight into its internal structure. I had so repeatedly ex- 

 amined the stems of vascular cryptogamic plants without detecting 

 any traces of organization, that I cannot refrain from mentioning the 

 delight which I experienced when I observed a structure so perfect. 



I am the more gratified as it affords me an opportunity of corroborat- 

 ing the opinion of so distinguished a fossil botanist as Mr. A. Brongn- 

 iart, although founded solely upon the external markings of the 

 peculiar plants. 



To ascertain the correctness of his views, it became necessary for me 

 to examine into the internal structure of recent Lycopodiaceous plants, 

 of which, however, I have only obtained specimens of a single species. 

 In so far as I have discovered, the structure of this species is analogous, 

 in most respects, to that of the stem presented to me by Mr. Phillips. 



The specimens of this plant which I have seen, consist of subcylin- 

 drical or slightly compressed dichotomous stems. The surface is cover- 

 ed by a thick envelope of carbonaceous matter, presenting indistinct 

 spiral protuberances, and beneath which are observed numerous small 

 papilla? of an elliptical form, higher than broad, and very regularly ar- 

 ranged in spiral series. Fig. 1 . Plate V. represents a portion of one of 

 the steins, with some of the carbonaceous envelope remaining. 



Viewed in relation to its structure, the stem presents a central axis, 

 which may be seen in the transverse section, Fig. 1. a. PI. VI., and in 



