Maryland Geological Survey 373 



tions dichotomously divided into a small number of strap-shaped 

 lacinige, the ultimate ones being a little over 1 mm. wide; nerves slender, 

 forking at long intervals, with branches parallel. This plant, evidently 

 a true Baiera, is very rare, the specimens, few in number, being, with 

 the exception of the one figured, found in small fragments. The leaves 

 at the summit of the short twigs seem to have been very numerous and 

 more slender than in the Jurassic Baieras." — Fontaine, 1890. 



A single additional specimen, which in some respects is more complete 

 than any of the earlier ones of this species, was collected some years ago 

 by Mr. Bibbins, from the locality known as Sailors' Tavern on the James 

 Eiver. It shows a flattened shoot 3 cm. long, very thin proximad and 

 gradually thickening to the rounded apex. As preserved in a much 

 shrunken condition the apical portion of the twig is 8 mm. in the trans- 

 verse diameter by about 3 mm. in thickness so that in life it could hardly 

 have been less than 5 mm. in diameter. The leaves are arranged in a low 

 spiral, each one inserted separately on a rounded subrhomboidal boss 

 placed about 2 mm. apart. These bosses are more or less obliterated in 

 the basal 11 mm. of the shoot. The leaves are thick and are covered 

 with an epidermis of thick-walled cells. The petiole is lenticular in 

 cross section, 1.5 mm. wide, appearing as flat on the impressions. It is 

 5 to 10 mm. in length to the height of the first subdivision. At this 

 point the leaf splits into two or three major divisions which soon 

 subdivide into slender, elongated segments, which are only about 0.5 

 mm. in diameter. Owing to the fragmentary nature of these ultimate 

 segments their length cannot be determined. It is quite clear, however, 

 that the present species is an undoubted gymnosperm and not a fern. 



This species in its slender, graceful form, is very suggestive of the 

 widespread Baiera furcata (L. & H.) F. Braun of the Jurassic. It 

 resembles the ginkgoes in having the leaves borne on short shoots, but in 

 the present species the leaves were not deciduous as they are in the 

 modern Ginkgo, but were retained for several years as the specimen 

 clearly indicates. 



With the exception of its much smaller size the present species is 



