558 PTERIDOSPEEMS, ETC. [CH. 



those of Neuropteris. The drawings of fertile segments pub- 

 lished by Weiss' afford no indication of reproductive organs. 

 Potonid^ figures some pinnules of Gallipteris conferta in which 

 the thick lamina is covered with sinuous grooves probably 

 made by some insect larvae: as he suggests, similar markings 

 may have been mistaken for the remains of sori. The occur- 

 rence of Gallipteris fronds recorded by Weber and SterzeF 

 in association with Medullosa stems in the Lower Permian 

 of Saxony is in accordance with Grand'Eury's conclusion. 



Fronds reaching 1 metre in length, bipinnate or tripinnate, main 

 rachis frequently exhibiting a combination of dichotomous and pinnate 

 branching. Pinnae linear, usually crowded, decurrent on the rachis ; the 

 pinnules on the lower side of the pinnae are continued on to the rachis. 

 Pinnules of the Pecopteroid type, entire or slightly lobed, or of the 

 Sphenopteroid type and more or less deeply dissected (fig. 366 (), D), the 

 lamina of adjacent pinnules concrescent ; on the lower pinnae the 

 lamina may be continuous as in an Alethopteris pinnule. A midrib 

 may extend almost to the bluntly rounded apex of the ultimate segments, 

 giving off oblique, simple, or forked veins, the lowest of which arise directly 

 from the rachis ; in the Sphenopteroid forms the lateral veins are given 

 off at a more acute angle. 



A striking feature of the genus is the occurrence of pinnules 

 on the main rachis, as in Odontopteris. Zeiller has wisely 

 extended the application of Gallipteris to fronds possessing this 

 character irrespective of the entire or lobed form of the 

 ultimate segments. He found among the numerous examples 

 of the genus obtained from Autun^ and Lodeve"" transitional 

 forms connecting such species as G. conferta (fig. 367) and 

 G. Pellati Zeill. (fig. 3ti6, C) in which the Pecopteroid pinnules 

 are slightly lobed, with C. lyratifolia (Goepp.) (fig. 366, D), 

 G. flabellifera^ (Weiss), and G. Bergeroni Zeill. characterised by 

 deeply lobed Sphenopteroid segments. 



Gallipteris conferta (Sternberg)''. Fig. 367. 



1723. Scheuchzer, Herb. Diluv. PI. ii., fig. 3. 



1826. Neuropteris conferta, Sternberg, Flor. Vorwelt p. 17. 



1849. Gallipteris conferta, Brongniart, Tableau, p. 24. 



1 WeisB (69) Pis. vi. vii. 2 Potoni6 (93) A. PL i. figs. 1, 2. 



3 Weber and Sterzel (96) p. 99. * Zeiller (90) p. 84. ^ Zeiller (98'). 

 ' For figures of this and other species, see Potoni^ (07). 

 ' For synonymy, see Zeiller (90) p. 87 and Potoni^ (07) p. 2. 



