36 



BRITISH EOCENE ELORA. 



but it is distinguished from this and from Brynaria by the anastomosing of the ternary 

 veins and presence of free venules in the meshes. In the combination of marginal and 

 netted venation, it presents a special type of the Drynaria group, which has never been 

 observed in recent Eerns, 



Meniphyllum elegans, Ett. and Gard. PI. Ill, 



figs. 10- 



-14. 



M. pinnis subcoriaceis, stipitatis, laneeolatis, apicem versus acu- 

 minatis, hasi acuta incequalibiis vel obliquis, margine integerrimis ; 

 nervo primario valido prominente, scejie arcuafo vel Jlexuoso, nervis 

 secundariis sub angulis 75 — 90° orientibus, numcrosis, approximatis, 

 flexuosis ; nervis tertiariis angulis acutis, rarius obtusis e nervis 

 secundariis egredientibus, abbreviatis, flexuosis ; maculis oblongo- 

 ellipiicis, appendices liberos includentibus. 



Middle Bagshot, Bournemouth. 



At first sight these remains appear to belong to Meniscium, but 

 although the shape of the pinnae and the arrangement of the 

 secondary veins point to this affinity, the venation itself is opposed 

 to it ; for, whilst Metiiscium has the Goniopteris, this has the Drynaria 

 type. PI. Ill, fig. 13, shows the venation magnified. The fronds 

 were pinnate and probably coriaceous in texture. The pinnae are 

 shortly stipitate, the stalk passing into the mid-rib, which is curved 

 or sinuous. The secondary veins are given off at rather obtuse, 

 often almost right angles, and are numerous and closely set, thicker 

 and less sinuous, and usually alternate with more slender and sinuous 

 secondary veins. All extend to the margin, where they are either 

 forked or remain undivided. The ternary veins form various acute 

 and more rarely obtuse angle s, are mostly very short and sinuous 

 and anastomose more frequently with the neighbouring secondary 

 veins than together. The meshes are of irregular oblong and 

 elliptical shape, and contain branched free venules. 



The pinnae represented (PI. Ill, figs. 10, 11, 12) were found at 

 Bournemouth in the beds near the top of the cliff east of the Pier, 

 associated with aroids, palms, and conifers. It is sometimes found 

 with Podoloma. Eig. 14 is from a solitary specimen found under 

 Branksome Watch Tower, towards Poole Harbour, associated with small oak- and 

 willow-like leaves. The pinna seems to have been slightly shrivelled at the margin 

 before it was imbedded, and hence the lateral marginal vein is hardly discernible. 



Fig. 14. — Meniscium lon- 

 gifolium. 



