338 0. Feistmantel — Contributions towards the [No. 4, 



I think some of these Calamites-like forms also occur in our Damiidas, 

 but are generally termed Phyllotheea* 



Genus Sphenophyllum, Bgt. 1828. 



Planted herbacece ; caule ramoso, ramis alternantibus aut oppositis. 

 Gcmle primario crass iore, secundariis tenerioribus, inter dum tenerrimis, ad 

 articula inflatis, eostatis, costis non alternantibus ; intemodiis in longitudine 

 variantibus. 



Foliis cttneatis, sessilibus, plurime in artieulis verticillatis, interdum 

 alio in modo dispositis ; in numero variantibus, numerum duodecim rarius 

 attingentibus ; marginibus lateralibus integris, margine exteriore saepius 

 dentato aut vario in modo inciso. 



Neeto medio ntjllo, sed nervulis pluribus, cequalibus, ex nonnullis 

 crassiusculis repetito dichotomis. Fructificatio spicaeformis. 



This diagnosis, originally drawn up for the Sphenopliyllum of the 

 palaeozoic epoch, I have completed so as to make it applicable also to our 

 Damuda forms. 



For in general this genus was formerly considered as characteristic 

 of the true carboniferous formation. But later it was discovered in other 

 portions of the palaeozoic epoch also. 



Dawsonf mentions a Sphenophyllum from the Devonian in Cana- 

 da ; I know Sphenophyllum from the Culm in Silesia, and another specimen 

 from the Permian, in the so-called Schwarte, in the Eakonitz coalfield 

 in Bohemia and from Stepanitz near Starkenbach (Bohemia), and, finally, 

 from the passage-bed between the Carboniferous and Permian in the so- 

 called " Nurschan-Grasschiefer" from the Pilsen-coalfield in BohemiaJ ; so 

 that the genus is now known from all members of the palaeozoic epoch. 

 But it is also known from higher beds. 



This genus is easily recognised by the shape of the leaves. These are 

 cuneiform, sessile in the articulations of the stalk (therefore in numerous 

 whorls on the stalk), entire on the lateral margin, but may be dentate or 

 incised in various ways on the exterior margin. The veins are also 

 peculiar : there is no midrib, and although the veins are numerous, they 



* In this form the Phyllotheca belongs certainly to a great extent to Schizoneura, 

 Sch. 



t Dawson on the Flora of the Devonian Period in North Eastern America, Q. J. 

 Geol. Soc, Vol. XVIII, pp. 296—330, Pis. XII— XVII ; and on the fossil flora of the 

 Devonian and Upper Silurian in Canada. London 1871. 20 Plates. 



% Feistmantel, Ueber den Niirschaner Gasschiefer, etc. Zeitschr. d. D. geolog. 

 Gesellschaft. 1873. 



