1876.] 0. Feistmantel — Fossil Plants from Baniganj Goal-field. 225 



paper in tlie Journal, and it may be siilficient to point out here only the most 

 imjiortant facts. 



I have determined altogether 14 species of fossil plants in Mr. Wood- 

 Mason's collection ; amongst these are 7 new species and amongst these 

 again 2 new genera. 



Represented are the orders of IJq^uisetacecB and Fllices. 

 Amongst the Eqiiisetacece, which on the whole are very frequent in 

 the Damuda Series, were especially represented: Sphenophyllum Trizygia, 

 Ung. This was formerly named Trizygia speciosa by Royle, later men- 

 tioned as Sphenophyllmn speciosiom by McClelland, and finally established 

 as Splienoph. Trizygia by linger. It is distinctly characterized by the 

 number and position of the leaflets in the articulations. There are invariably 

 6 leaflets only, which, considered according to their size, form three pairs, 

 (therefore Trizygia^ and are placed on one side of the articulation. 

 Figures of this interesting fossil have been published altogether twice only 

 by Royle and McClelland, but as the work of this latter author is very little 

 known, I give two more figures with my paper. The same species occurs 

 also in the Barakm' group. 



The second fossil I describe from the Equisetacece is the famous 

 Vertehrarla, which to date is not yet quite satisfactorily explained. The 

 first reasonable explanation was given by Sir Ch. Bunbury, who considered 

 it to be the rhizome or roots of an equisetaceous plant, as he supposed 

 of Phyllotheca, which means, in another sense, of 8chizonem'a, most of 

 the so-called Phyllotheca being states of this genus. Since that time 

 nothing positive has been pronounced a,bout this fossil. Mr. Wood-Mason's 

 collection contains several nice specimens, amongst which one which 

 shows quite certainly the equisetaceous nature of this fossil, exhibiting 

 perfectly distinctly 2 or 3 articulations Avith ribs not alternating in the 

 articulation, but quite opposite, as is generally the case in the Triassic 

 Eqiiisetaceae of Europe. The Australian Vertehrarla is, as far as it is 

 described, different from ours. 



Besides these equisetaceous plants the most frequent in the Damudas 

 is a representative of the well-known Triassic genus Schizoneura which 

 I have called S. Gondioanensis, and which is very near to Schizoneura 

 paradoxa, Sch., of Europe. A good many af the stalks generally called 

 Phyllotheca belong to this genus, although a true Phyllotheca, in Zigno's 

 sense, occurred too. Phyllotheca iy a mesozoic genus. In Australia it is 

 frequent in the Upper Newcastle Beds, and I have lately discovered a form 

 almost identical with Phylloth. equistifuriiils, Zign. 



But amongst the Eerns are the most interesting forms. 



Of the Sphenopterides I have described a Sphenopteris polymorpha, so- 

 called from the variations of form whicli it exhibits according to the size or 



