16 



GINKGOALBS 



[CH. 



There is also a further difficulty in regard to terminology: 

 the employment of the two generic names Ginkgo or G^nkgmtes 

 and Bcnera reveals a striking lack of uniformity among authors 

 and the artificial nature of the characters determimng the use of 

 one or other generic name necessarily lead to diversity in practice. 

 As with the definition of species within the genus Gtnkgoites, so 

 also the adoption of Ginkgoites or Baiera is to a large extent the 



Fig. 634. 



Ginkgoites digitata. Leaf from Kap Boheman, Spitzbergen. 

 (Stockholm Museum; nat. size.) 



result of individual preference and merely expresses an attempt 

 to classify in an arbitrary fashion the numerous types of leaves 

 that in themselves afford no sure guide as to precise affinity. The 

 South African, Rhaetic, specimen shown in fig. 635, L was originally 

 described as Baiera moltenensis^ but it might equally well be referred 

 to Ginkgoites. 



1 Seward (08) B. PI. ii. fig. 4. 



