364 



SEQTJOnWEAE 



[CH. 



f 



Sfhenohfidium Sternbergianum (Dunker). 



This species was originally described by Dunker^ from North 

 Germany as Muscites Sternbergianus and by later authors placed 

 in Araucarites, Widdringtonites, and other genera^. It is impossible 

 to determine the specific limits of this species^ and S. Kurrianum 

 (fig. 771): the cones exhibit no well-defined dis- 

 tinguishing characters and the chief distinction 

 is the more spreading foliage of the Araucarian 

 or Pagiofhyllum type of S. Sternbergianum.. As 

 Berry suggests, this species — described from the 

 Potomac formation and elsewhere in North 

 America and from several European localities — 

 is probably represented in the Lower Cretaceous 

 flora of Greenland under such names as Glypto- 

 strohus groenlandicus Heer and Sequoia fastigiata. 

 Some of the English and German fossils attri- 

 buted to S. Sternbergianum are almost certainly 

 examples of Elatides curvifolia. 



Sfhenolefidimn Kurrianum (Dunker). 



Dunker* originally adopted the generic name 

 Thuites; later authors jiieieiied BracJiyphyllmn, 

 Widdringtonites, Araucarites and other names. 

 Fontaine^, who records this species from the 

 Potomac formation, includes in his genus Athro- 

 iaxopsis specimens which cannot be distinguished 

 by any features of morphological importance 

 from Sphenolepidium. Kurrianum. The leaves are 

 ovate, more or less appressed, agreeing with 

 Brachyphylltmi or in some examples intermediate 

 between the type of foliage assigned to Pagio- 

 fhyllum and Brachyphyllum. The Wealden speci- 

 men reproduced in fig. 771 is placed in Spheno- 

 lepidium because of its association with branches, 

 identical in habit, bearing cones ; if found as an isolated 



I 



IG. 771. Spheno- 

 lepidium Kurria- 

 num. From the 

 Wealden of Sus- 

 sex. (British Mu- 

 seum, V. 2303; 

 f nat. size. ) 



1 Dunker (46) A. Pi. vu. fig. 10. 



2 For references, see Seward (95) A. p. 205; Berry (ll*) p. 293. 

 " Seward (11=) p. 685. 



* Dunker (46) A. p. 20. « Fontaine (89) B. Pis. oxxxv., etc. 



