Maryland Geological Survey 287 



anastomosis forming long, rather regular, elliptical to rhombic meshes, 

 which fill the lamina/'" — Fontaine, 1890. 



This species was based upon two very fragmentary specimens, of which 

 the more complete was figured. It does not differ appreciably from a 

 number of the broader Jurassic species, nor does it offer any very con- 

 clusive differences from the Wealden species Sagenopteris Mantelli 

 (Dunker) Schenk which Fontaine records from the Shasta beds of the 

 west coast, and with which the Potomac species may be identical. 



Occurrence. — Patuxent Foemation. Near Telegraph Station (Lor- 

 ton), Virginia. 



Collection. — U. S. National Museum, 



Sagenopteris elliptica Fontaine 



Sagenopteris elliptica Fontaine, 1890, Mon. U. S. Geol. Survey, vol. xv, 1889, 



p. 149, pi. xxvii, figs. 9, 11-17. 

 Chiropteris spatulata Newberry, 1891, Amer. Jour. Sci. (iii), vol. xli, p. 199, 



pi. xiv, figs. 1, 2. 

 Sagenopteris sp., Fontaine, 1894, in Diller and Stanton, Bull. Geol. Soc. 



Amer., vol. v, p. 450, 

 Sagenopteris sp., Fontaine, 1896, in Stanton, Bull. U. S. Geol. Survey, No. 



133, p. 15. 

 Sagenopteris elliptica Penhallow, 1902, Trans. Roy. Soc. Can, (ii), vol. iv, 



sec. iv, p. 41. 

 Sagenopteris elliptica Fontaine, 1906, in Ward, Mon, U. S. Geol. Survey, 



vol. xlviii, 1905, p. 236, pi. Ixv, figs. 39, 40. 

 Sagenopteris sp., Fontaine, 1906, in "Ward, Mon. U. S. Geol. Surv., vol. xlviii, 



1905, p. 238, pi. Ixv, fig. 46, 

 Chiropteris spatulata Knowlton, 1907, Smith. Misc, Coll., vol. 1, pt, i, p. 114. 



Description. — Stipe stout, apparently crowned with five palmately ar- 

 ranged pinnae. No pinnae have been found attached, but one specimen 

 shows five lying disposed around the summit of the stipe. If these really 

 were attached as described by Fontaine they may represent simply a 

 variation and not even constitute a specific character, although no five- 

 parted Sagenopteris has been heretofore described. Pinnse variable in 

 size, inequilateral, lanceolate to ovate, obtusely pointed above, gradually 

 narrowed below, 3,5 em, to 10 cm. in length by 0.7 cm, to 3,6 cm, in 



greatest width, the upper or terminal ones being the largest. Midrib 

 19 



