DiL'LL New Plants from the Erian and Carboniferous. t 



of Antholithes, and of Cardiocarpon, which may have belonged 

 to it. 1 It would thus seem that so far as now known in America 

 the typical Cordaites had precedence of the Noeggerathise, 

 and of Dictyocordaites. My narrow-leaved species 0. 

 angustifolia is equally ancient with 0. Robbii, but is of 

 doubtful affinities. 



Dolerophyllum, Saporta. 



This genus was established by Saporta for certain densely 

 leaved plants, having rounded leaves with radiating nerves 

 and closely arranged in a spiral manner on the stem. The 

 male inflorescence of these plants consists of a central disk, 

 with cavities for the pollen, and surrounded with radiating 

 fibres, while the seed is of large size and longitudinally 

 striated, being the fruit usually known as Rhabdocarpus. It 

 is likely that in America we have usually placed the leaves" 

 with ferns, as species of Oyclopteris. The fruits are 

 known and have been described as Ehabdocarpi. One 

 species, my Rh. insignis from Nova Scotia, is an inch and a 

 half in length. Another, Rh. oblongatus of Fontaine, from 

 Virginia, is nearly as large. Mr. Lacoe has found separate- 

 ly what is regarded as the male organ of fructification. One 

 of his specimens is a nodule of clay ironstone from Illinois, 

 and exhibits merely tbe central disk. Two others are flat- 

 tened in shale and are from the Carboniferous of Pennsylva- 

 nia. They are of different sizes, but may be of the same 

 species. The larger of the two has a disk three quarters of 

 an inch in diameter, and marked with pits and ridges in an 

 irregularly radiating manner, while the border of radiating 

 fibres is about half an inch in breadth, giving a total diameter 

 of an inch and three quarters. 



If we put together the leaves of some of the larger specias 

 of Cyclopteris, the fruit of Rhabdocarpus, and these singular 

 disks, we shall have all the principal parts of Dolerophyllum 

 as restored by Saporta from actual specimens found in the 



1 Keport on Devonian Plants of Canada,' 18 71. 



