﻿Vol. 64.] 



FOSSIL PLANTS EROM SOUTH AFEICA. 



leaf-scars ; the absence of the latter may well be due to the nature 

 of the material of wliich the fossil consists. At the tapered end 



some of the ridges tend 



Fig. 1. — Schizoneura sp, /3 {pith-cast^ to converge; below the 



rather less than three-quarters of the narrowest region, where 



natural size). they are much less 



distinct, their course is 

 very irregular, and they 

 become oblique or al- 

 most horizontal. It is 

 possible that the rapid 

 narrowing of the cast is 

 due to the decrease in 

 diameter of the pith at 

 the junction of two axes 

 of the plant, as in the 

 genus Calamites. In the 

 absence of leaves we can- 

 not speak with certainty 

 as to the affinity of the 

 fossil, but the presump- 

 tion is in favour of the 

 genus Schizoneura. 



As regards the com- 

 parison of these different 

 examples of Schizoneura 

 with species from other 

 parts of the world : Sch. 

 Carrerei has been fully 

 described by Prof. Zeiller ^ 

 and recorded from Tong- 

 king, China,^ and South 

 Africa. It is possible 

 that a portion of a pith- 

 cast figured by Schenk 

 from Ehaetic rocks of 

 Persia ^ may be identical 

 with this species. 



The occurrence of long 

 and narrow leaves in 

 connection with some 

 Ehastic specimens doubt- 

 fully identified by Prof. 

 Nathorst^ with Sch. 

 hoerensis (His.) suggests the possibility of a close affinity between 

 that species and the African plant. Casts from Jurassic strata 



^ Zeiller (02) p. 137 & pis. xxxvi-xxxviii. 

 - Krasser (00) p. 14G & pi. iii, figs. 1-3 a. 

 ^ Sclienk (87) pi. viii, fig. 48. 

 4 Nathorst (78) pp. 24-26 & pi. x, figs. 6-8. 



