XLV] GOMPHOSTBOBTJS 287 



however, no definite evidence as to the nature of the foliage : the 

 stem structure represents a type previously unrecorded among 

 Gymnosperms, but comparable with the structure of the stem of 

 Aeschynomene a recent genus of the Leguminosae. 



GOMPHOSTROBUSi. Marion. 



This generic name was instituted by Marion^ for Permian 

 foliage-shoots from Lodeve bearing vegetative leaves similar to 

 those of Walchia and Araucaria excelsa but distinguished by the 

 bifurcate form (fig. 747) of the relatively long sporophylls borne 

 in a crowded cluster on the apical region of the axis. Marion 

 referred Gomphostrobus to the Coniferales. Geinitz* had pre- 

 viously described detached sporophylls from the Lower Permian 

 of Saxony, of the same type as those on which the gemis Gomphostro- 

 bus was founded, as Sigillariostrobus bifidus. The Saxon specimens 

 are represented in the drawings published by Geinitz as distally- 

 forked scales bearing a single seed at the base. Potonie*, who 

 examined the original fossils in the Dresden Museum — and 1 am 

 able to confirm his view — states that there are no undoubted 

 seeds but only a faintly outlined area near the proximal end of 

 each scale which no doubt marks the position of a seed or sporan 

 giiim. 



1873. Sigillariostrobus hifidus, Geinitz, Neues Jahrbuch Min. p. 700, PI. v. 



figs. 6—7. 

 1890. Dicranophyllum gallieum, Schenk in Schimper and Scheni, p. 266. 



1890. Gomphostrobus heterophyllus, Marion, Compt. Rend. ex. p. 892. 



1891. Psilotiphyllum bifidum, Potoni^, Ber. deutsch. Bot. Ges. Bd. ix. 



p. 256. 



1892. Gomphostrobus bifidus, Zeiller, Bassin Houill. Perm. Brive, p. 101, 



PI. XV. fig. 12. 



Gomphostrobus bifidus (Geinitz). 



Potonie in his account of the genus and type-species repro- 

 duces Marion's original drawings showing a Walchia-like axis 

 with short falcate leaves bearing crowded linear and distally forked 

 sporophylls reaching a length of 8 cm. in the apical region. The 

 sporophylls, which are bent to one side, giving the impression of 

 wind-blown foliage, consist of a simple lamina 8-5 to 25 mm. long, 



1 See vol. n. p. 26. ^ Marion (90) A. ' Geinitz (73). 



^ Potonie (93) A. p. 197 Pis. xxvn., xxvin., xxxm. 



