BY R. ETHERIDGE, JUX. 
1305 
Of the many interesting genera contained in this family, Phleb- 
opteris, as emended by Schimper, is one of the most so, from its 
general resemblancein form to certain membei s of thePecopterida' — 
to wit, the genus Aletliopteris. Tn the latter tbe pinnules are simjile, 
usually entire, always more or less strap-sliaped, decurrent on the 
rachis, or confluent, and coriaceous, whilst the veins are simple 
and forking. Now in Phlehopteri% we again observe the more or 
less elongate, and often strap-shaped decurrent pinnules, but with 
a wholly diflferent venation — the costa or mid-rib of each having 
on each side of it a border of reticulate spaces, from which the 
veins take their rise. This reticulation in various degrees of 
development is characteristic of the Dictyopteridse, but Schimper 
has wisely restricted Phlehojoteris to those possessing but a single 
series of reticulations on each side of the mid-rib. His words 
are — “a une seule serie d’arcs de chaque cote de la cote.” 
Amongst a collection of plants in the Australian Museum from 
thel})swich Coal Measures on the Darling How ns, near Toowoomba, 
[ observed seme fairly good sjiecimens of what appeared to 
be an Ahthopteris ; but the nar row elongate pinnules, springing 
horizontally fi om the rachis did not allow the plant in question to 
fit happily into that genus. Close examination of the better- 
preserved examples, revealed a small, and very delicate reticula- 
tion, consisting of small, elongate, and irregular vesicles, if I may 
call them .so, lying close to the mid-rib of each pinnule. The 
appearance presentec^y this reticulation is very well shown in 
Schimper’s figure of ^Phlehopteris ajfinis, Schenk.* ^ 
Portions of this fern, which I propose to call Phlebojderis 
alethopteroidf'S, are as much as seven inches in length, so that the, 
pinnae must have attained a no rneair size. Individual pinnules, 
although imperfect, still measure two and a-half inches in length, 
their breadth, which is very disproportionate to the length, 
remaining very irnifor-ttr. The greatest width 1 have observecl 
a pinna to attain, and that again irrqrer fect, was four and a quart<*r 
inches. Tbe pinnirles are, on an aver-ge, fronr a quarter of an inch 
Loc, cil. Atlas, t. .3!>, fig. 15. 
