XL] MALE FLOWERS 53 



towards a dichotomoiis habit of the axis, and in the Jurassic 

 specimen we have no proof as to the nature of the ' microsporangia.' 



Arguments have recently been brought forward^ in favour of 

 regarding Antholithus Zeilleri as the male organ of the plant 

 which bore the fronds known as Lepidopteris Ottonis (Gopp.), 

 originally described by Goeppert as Alethopteris Ottonis and made 

 by Schimper the type of a new genus Lepidopteris. Various 

 statements have been made by authors with regard to the occur- 

 rence of sori on this interesting Ehaetic species, but Antevs 

 believes that the evidence hitherto adduced in favour of a 

 fern-hke type of fructification is untrustworthy. It is now sug- 

 gested that these Rhaetic compound fronds with thick linear 

 pinnules belong to some seed-bearing plant and that Antholithus 

 Zeilleri represents the microspore-bearing organ: there is no 

 proof of connexion, but there is a very close resemblance in the 

 epidermal characters of Lepidopteris and Antholithus and the 

 latter is only found in beds containing the fronds. Nathorst 

 called attention to resemblances between the cuticle of Antholithus 

 and that of Baiera leaves, but according to the later investigations 

 of Antevs, with which it would appear that Nathorst is in sympathy, 

 there is a closer correspondence as regards cuticular structure with 

 Lepidopteris. 



Fossils regarded by Nathorst as closely allied to his species are 

 described by Leuthardt^ from the Keuper of Basel as male flowers 

 of Baiera furcata Heer ; these appear to be almost identical with 

 the English Jurassic specimens; the specimens reproduced by 

 Leuthardt consist of long axes — in one of those shown on his 

 plate the axis is 4 cm. long — with short lateral branches bearing 

 terminal groups of three or four microsporangia 4 — 5 mm. long 

 and 1-5 — 2 mm. broad very similar to those shown in figs. 654, 655. 



A comparison may also be made with Schenk's Stachyopitys 

 Preslii^ from the Rhaetic of Franconia which he subsequently 

 regarded as the male flower of Baiera Muensteriana Heer, a com- 

 parison previously made by Heer*. This type consists of an axis 

 bearing short lateral appendages terminating in oval bodies opening 



1 Antevs (14). ^ Leuthardt (03) p. 9, PI. m. 



3 Schenk (67) A. p. 185, PI. XLiv. figs. 9—12. 



4 Heer (77) ii. p. 52; Schenk (90) A. p. 261. 



