356 O. Feistmantel — Contributions towards tlie [No. -1, 



These have nothing to do with the Opliioglosseae ; I would mention only 

 the two carboniferous* species, Mhacopteris Asplenites and Mhacopteris 

 S tlconitzensis, Stur ; the former is a real Sphenopteris, the other is 

 certainly a Zainieae belonging to the genus Noggerathia and has already 

 been described as Noggerathia intermedia, K. Fstm. 



Some of those, however, which are placed in Mhacopteris with the 

 other types of Sphenopteris are indeed different, and they should never be 

 placed with them ; they may have their affinities in the Opliioglosseae, as 

 I will show especially on some specimens from Australia from the real lower 

 coal-nieasures which certainly resemble Botrycliium in the shape of the 

 leaves. 



Frorn the Eaniganj coal-field no Sphenopteris\ has as yet been 

 described, and I have not met with any specimen with certainty. Amongst 

 Wood- Mason's specimens, however, are several, which on a closer exami- 

 nation turn out to belong to this genus. 



Genus Sphenopteris, Bgt. 1828. 



1828. Brongniart, Hist. d. veget. foss. 



1841. Goppert, Gatt. foss. Pfi. I. p. 67. 



1850. Unger, Gen. et Spec, plant, foss. 



185-5. Genitz, Verst. der. Sachs. Steinkohlenf. 



1869. Schiinper, Pal. veget. I. 



1873. Feistmantel, Zeitsch. d. D. g. Gesell. 502. seqq. 



1876. Feistmantel, Eajm. Flora, in Pal. Indica. 



Sphenopteris polymorpha, n. sp., Pis. XVI, Figs. 5 — 7 & XVII. 



Fronde tripinnata ; rhachide primaria et secundaria late alata ; pinnis 

 alternant ibus, sub angulo subrecto e rhachide primaria eggredientibus ; tota in 

 fronde differentibus ; superioribus semel pinnatis, pinnulis solum paulo 

 sinuatis aut lobatis, alternant ibus% ; mediis longioribus, etiam semel pin- 

 natis, aut pinnulis distincte lobato-incisis ; imis longissimis clistincte bi- 

 pinnatis,^ pinnulis pinnatis, longioribus ; pinnulis earum pinnularum den- 

 tic ulat is ; nervis pinnularum primariis e rhachide pinnarum eggredientibus, 

 nervos secundarios in lobos aut pinnulas (secundi ordinis) emittentibus, 

 fur cat is. 



There are several specimens, which gave me the idea of this form. 



One specimen especially, portions of which are figured on pi. xvi, 

 figs. 5 — 7 shows the characters of this form plainly. 



* From coal-measures in Bohemia. 



t ill'. Oldham, Mem. Geol. Surv. Ind. II., p. 32, mentions, it is true, the genus 

 Sphenopteris, but no species is named and no discussion nor any precise locality is given. 

 % So they are throughout. 

 § Tota frons hoc modo tripinnata. 



