342 



FILICALES 



[CH. 



or from other fossils referred to an unnecessarily large number of 

 species by Fontaine ^ from Upper Triassic rocks of Virginia I 



It would seem from the paucity of later records of Os- 

 mundaceae that the family reached its zenith in the Jurassic era. 

 When we pass to the later Tertiary and more recent deposits 



WjW». 



Fig. 257. Cladophlebis denticulata. (From a specimen in the British Museum 

 from the Inferior Oolite rocks of Yorkshire. Slightly reduced.) 



evidence is afforded in regard to the geographical range of 

 Osmunda regalis. It has been shown to occur in the Pliocene 

 forest-bed of Norfolk^ as well as in Palaeolithic and Neolithic 

 deposits*. 



A fertile frond from the Molteno (Rhaetic) beds of South 



1 Fontaine (83). 



- The geographical distribution of Todites and other genera will be dealt 

 with in Volume in. 



3 Carruthers (70) A. p. 350. * Eeid (99). 



