1915] HOLDEN—CUTICLES OF CONIFERS 219 
noses, but that it is of little interest to one concerned with the 
broader problem of the evolutionary history of the Coniferales. 
Palissya 
Among the numerous specimens of the genus Palissya sent 
by the Director of the Indian Geological Survey to Professor 
SEWARD, there were but two with cuticle preserved. One of these, 
from the Umia group of Thrombow, is labeled Palissya sp.; the 
other, from the Jabalpur group, is called P. indica, Fstm., both 
being Jurassic. OrpHAM and Morris had previously described 
specimens of this character as Taxitis indicus, but FEISTMANTEL 
transferred them to the genus Palissya Endl., believing them to be 
very near to the European P. Brauni (9g). The two specimens differ 
but slightly in external appearance, and the structure of the 
cuticle indicates that they are specifically identical. The general 
habit is shown in fig. 1, and it is evident that in the spirally arranged, 
linear, and decurrent leaves, they resemble closely typical specimens 
of Taxitis or Palissya. The only discrepancy is the absence of a 
‘midrib, a feature noticed also by FEISTMANTEL. A general view 
of the epidermis is given in fig. 9. Toward the left are represented 
the cells of the upper surface, angular in shape, with straight walls 
and no stomata; toward the right, those of the lower, showing the 
stomata scattered with no semblance of regularity, but with their 
long axes more or less parallel to the margin of the leaf (see also 
fig. 11). Details of a single stoma are shown in fig. 4. The acces- 
sory cells are usually 6 in number, though not rarely 4 or 5; the 
guard cells are deeply sunken and often lacking; occasionally, 
however, the thickenings persist. Sometimes, as in fig. 4, the 
dorsal lamellae remain, while the ventral at one or both ends 
disappear. Not infrequently there are a few stomata on the upper 
surfaces of the leaf, and on the stem itself there are usually a few, 
due probably to the decurrent nature of the leaf bases. In no case, 
however, is there the slightest indication of the central astomatic 
region which would normally cover a midrib. The fact that the 
midrib is indistinguishable either in gross specimens or in detached 
cuticles, suggests a doubt as to the propriety of referring these 
specimens to either Taxitis or Palissya. The former is always 
