364 



FILICAI.ES 



[CH. 



there are a few records of fertile fronds which, though not to be 

 accepted without reserve, are worthy of more careful examina- 

 tion. Some petrified sporangia described by Renault' from 

 the Culm of Esnost are referred to Hymenophyllites on account 

 of the position of the annulus, which appears to encircle about 

 two-thirds of the circumference ; it is, however, not certain that 

 the annulus is horizontal as in the recent genus. 



The Culm species Rhodea patentissima described by Ettings- 

 hausen^ as Hymenophyllites patentissima and subsequently 



F^^^^ 



A. E. Senftenbergia elegans. 



B. Oligocarpia Brongniartii. 



C. Trichomanes sp. 



D. Hymenophyllum tunhridgense. 



F, G. Sphenopt'eris (Hymenophyllites) quadridactylitgs. 

 (A, B, F, G, after Zeiller ; D, after Hooker ; E, after Stur.) 



referred by Stur^ to Rhodea, is regarded by these authors as 

 closely allied to Hymenophylluvi simply on the ground of the 

 finely divided and delicate sterile fronds ; another species, Rhodea 

 moravica (Ett.), which Ettingshausen referred to Trichomanes, 

 is compared with recent species of that genus. In neither 

 case do we know anything of sporangial characters. 



A fertile sphenopteroid frond figured by Schimper as Hy- 

 menophyllum Weissi^ from the Coal-Measures of Saarbrucken 



1 Eenault (96) A. p. 19. 



3 Stur (75) A. p. 36, PI. ix. figs. 1—9. 



2 Ettingshausen (66) PI. vii. fig. 4. 

 ■» Schimper (74) A. PL xxviii. fig. 4- 



-7. 



