478 



HYDROPTERIDEAE 



[CH. 



sporocarps of recent species of Marsilia. They were found in 

 association with the leaves of Sagenopteris undulata Nath., 

 an abundant Scania type similar in form to the English Jurassic 

 species S. Phillipsi (figs. 327, 328). Heer was independently 

 led by an examination of some examples of the Swedish "fruits" 

 to compare them with the sporocarps of Marsilia. A small 

 spherical body is figured by Zigno' close to a leaf of his 

 species S. angustifolia, which may be a sporocarp. In a recent 

 paper, Salfeld^ says that he found fructification on the lower 

 face of the leaflets of S. Nilssoniana Brongn. from German 

 Jurassic rocks, but he brings forward no evidence in support of 



Fio. 325. Sporocarp-like bodies found in association with the leaves of Sagen- 

 opteris. (Nat. size. From drawings supplied by Dr Nathorst.) 



this statement. The systematic position of Sagenopteris is by 

 no means settled. In a previous account of the genus I 

 expressed the view that it is probably a member of the true 

 ferns', but the resemblance of Dr Nathorst's drawings to the 

 Marsilian sporocarps influences me in favour of his opinion that 

 Sagenopteris may belong to the Hydropterideae. The evidence. 



1 Zigno (56) A. PI. xx. 2 Salfeld (09) p. 17. 



' In a footnote to Fontaine's description of Jurassic plants of Oregon, Lester 

 Ward writes: — "Seward treats Sagenopteris as a fern, classing it now (Jar. Fl. 

 Yorkshire Coast, 1900, p. 161) in the family Polypodiaceae, although in his 

 Wealden Flora, 1894, p. 129, he placed it in the Schizaeaceae." [Ward (05) 

 p. 83, note 6.] My words are " I am disposed to regard Sagenopteris as probably 

 a genus of ferns " {loc. cit. 1900, p. 161). I have never referred this plant to 

 the Polypodiaceae or Schizaeaceae or to any other family. 



