332 FILICALES [CH. 



As possible examples of Triassic Osmundaceae reference 

 may be made to some species included in Stur's genus 

 Speirocarpus^. S. virginiensis was originally described by 

 Fontaine 2 from the Upper Triassic rocks of Virginia as 

 Lonchopteris virginiensis (fig. 251) and has recently been figured 

 by Leuthardt^ from the Keuper of Basel. The sporangia, which 

 are scattered over the lower surface of the pinnules, are 

 described as globose-elliptical and as having a rudimentary 

 apical annulus ; no figures have been published. In habit 

 the frond agrees with Todites Williamsoni, but the lateral 

 veins form an anastomosing system like that in the Palaeozoic 

 genus Lonchopteris (fig. 290, B). There would seem to be an a 

 priori probability of this species being a representative of the 

 Osmundaceae and not, as Stur believed, of the Marattiaceae. 

 Seeing that Lonchopteris is a designation of a purely provisional 

 kind, it would be convenient to institute a new generic name 

 for Triassic species having the Lonchopteris venation, which 

 there are good reasons for regarding as Osmundaceous ferns. 



Similarly Speirocarpus tenuifolius (Emmons) {= Acrostichites 

 tenuifolius Font.), which resembles Todites Williamsoni (see 

 p. 339) not only in habit and in the distribution of the sporangia 

 but also in the venation, is probably an Osmundaceous species. 



Osmundites. 



Osmundites Dunlopi, Kidston and Gwynne-Vaughan*, fig. 252. 



This species was found in Jurassic rocks in the Otago district 

 of New Zealand in association with Cladophlebis denticulata^ 

 (fig. 257). The type-specimen forms part of a stem 17 mm. in 

 diameter surrounded by a broad mass of crowded leaf-bases. 

 The stele consists of an almost continuous xylem ring (fig. 252) 

 enclosing a wide pith: the phloem and inner cortex are not 

 preserved but the peripheral region of the stem is occupied by 

 a sclerotic outer cortex. The mass of encasing leaf-bases 

 resolves itself on closer inspection into zones of foliage-leaf 



1 Krasser (09) p. 10. = Fontaine (83) PIb. xxviii. xxix. 



3 Leuthardt (04) PI. xviii. ♦ Kidston and Gwynne-Vaughan (07). 



5 See p. 343. 



