, 





THE FLORA OF THE COAL PERIOD IN THE UNITED STATES, 



347 



their whole surface covered with very minute granules, so that under the glass it 

 presents the appearance of shagreen; vascular scar rhomhoidal, with its lateral angles 

 acute, its basal and apical angles acute or rounded, situated just above the middle of the 

 leaf-scar, marked with three internal dots, the lateral of which are generally obsolete ; 

 tubercles small, somewhat obovate, the left one mostly obsolete, and when present, placed 

 lower than the right ; median line distinct below the vascular scar and crossed by three or 

 four transverse wrinkles, above the vascular scar somewhat obsolete, but furnished with a 

 triangular expansion which gives origin to a long flexuous line from each lateral angle ; 

 appendages distinct ; margin very narrow and flexuous. 



L. venustum, Wood. Proc. A. N. S., vol. xii, p. 240, pi. 5, Pig. 2. 



This plant is very near to L. obtusum, Lesq., and may prove to be a young branch of 

 it. I have not seen any specimens of that species, but presume that they lack the granu- 

 lated surface, as it is not mentioned. There are also differences in the shape of the main 

 scar, breadth of margin, appendages, and the upper triangular marking. 



Gen. Asteropiiyllites. 



A. stactiyoides, Wood. Under the name of Lepidostrobus stachyoides, I described, 

 Proc. Acad. N. S., vol. xii, 1860, p. 240, a fossil fruit, which is related to Aeterophyllitee 

 crassicaulis, Lesq. As Prof. Lcsquercux has shown, these fossils are, probably, nothing 

 more than the fertile fronds of Asterophyllites. The nutlets are ovate or obtuse rhombic, 

 the proximal more rhombic, the distal narrower, more ovate. The rachis is very much 

 attenuated, linear. The leaves are long and linear, apparently but one below each nutlet. 



Gen. Sphenophyllum. 



S. latieolium, N. Sp. Stem moderately thick, somewhat inflated at the joints, strongly 

 sulcate. Leaves very large, apparently in whorls of four, thin, broadly triangular or wedge- 

 shaped, their distal margin irregularly toothed ; nervules very strongly pronounced, numer- 

 ous, dichotomously forking. 



Powcn's Collection, Cabinet of the Academy. 



Gen. Annular] a. 



A. mindta, Brongt. Prodrome,]). 155. As there appears to be a good deal of ob- 

 scurity hanging over this species, M. Brongniart, as far as I can learn, never having 



