Maryland Geological Survey 257 



name polymorpha had been used by Brongniart in 1828. Schenk two 

 years later, with Bunker's original specimens before him, announced that 

 Dunker's Ungeri and polymorpha were synonyms. He did not, however, 

 restore Dunker's name nor has Seward done so in his discussion (1894) 

 of this species in the Wealden flora. In accordance with the prevailing 

 system of nomenclature Dunker's original name must be used for this 

 species, and this proposal was made by Ward in 1906. Seward in 1894 

 referred the species to the genus CladopMehis, and while the American 

 material available in the present treatment of this species is not as com- 

 plete as might be desired it furnishes some evidence regarding the fertile 

 fronds of still another species of Cladophlehis. The character of the 

 fertile material is rather vague, and while it is clearly congeneric with a 

 number of other of Fontaine's species of Aspidium, it is hardly sufficient 

 evidence of their relationship with that modem genus. The present 

 species is close to Cladophlehis Browniana, and is apparently a cosmopol- 

 itan Lower Cretaceous type, since indistinguishable material occurs not 

 only in the English and Continental Wealden deposits (Belgium, Ger- 

 many, Austria), but in the Neocomian of Portugal and Japan, and in 

 the Uitenhage series of South Africa. Material from Japan shows ob- 

 scure fruiting fragments in which the pinnas are narrowed, and there 

 is apparently a single sorus to each pinnule (ISTathorst, loc. cit., pi. iv, 

 figs. 3-5, of these fig. 3 is referred to Weichselia Mantelli by Seward, 

 1894). The species is also reported from the Albian of Portugal by 

 Saporta. In America it is not rare in the Potomac beds, and rather 

 doubtful remains are referred to this species from the Shasta beds of 

 California and from the Fuson formation of the Black Hills area. It is 

 probably represented in the Kootanie formation of Montana by Dry- 

 opteris montanense (Font.) Knowlton.'' Prof. Seward in a recent paper 

 (1903, op. cit.) expresses his belief that this species is identical with 

 Cladophlehis Browniana, such differences as are observable being merely 

 individual and not specific. This may well be the case, the two are 

 certainly closely allied. There is, however, a serious danger involved 



'■Fontaine, Proc. U. S. Natl. Museum, vol. xv, 1892, p. 490, pi. Ixxxii, figs. 

 1-3; pi. Ixxxiii, figs. 2-3a. 



