GTMNOSPEEMOUS SEEDS. 123- 



V. 4662. PI. III. Fig. 4. 



Possibly a smaller leaf or leaflet of this species ; 2-1 cm. long by 

 r2cm. broad. 



V. 3435. A specimen labelled "One of the Liliacese." Cf^ 

 Buckman's pi. ii. fig. 3.' 



Sevenhampton. Brodie Colh 



Other specimens : — V. 3437, V. 4070. 



GYMJSrOSPERMOUS SEEDS. 



Numerous seeds bave been obtained from various horizons and 

 localities -which it is hopeless to attempt to refer to specific types or 

 to assign with confidence to their systematic position. On the other 

 hand, there are many seeds ■which can be recogmsed by their shape 

 as belonging to fairly -well defined types ; an example of a seed 

 ■which may be designated by a specific name is Carpolithes conicus 

 as figured by Lindley & Hutton. Until ■we find C. conicus -with 

 its tissues petrified or attached to a supporting organ we cannot 

 determine its precise position ; but, on the whole, it is more likely 

 to belong to . a Cyoadean plant than to a Conifer. There is one 

 difficulty that confronts us in dealing with such seeds as Carpolithes 

 eonicus, and that is the difference in appearance between a fairly 

 complete seed and an internal cast ; this is shown in the example 

 from Malton represented in Text-fig. 15. In some instances it is- 

 possible to recognise with a fair degree of certainty detached seeds 

 of Araucarian cones ; in this case we are able to compare them 

 ■with seeds or seed-impressions on cone-scales of the Arauearites 

 type. In the folio-wing pages I have dealt with two sets of seeds 

 under distinct specific names, Carpolithes conicus and C. diospyri- 

 formis, while several others are designated Carpolithes, sp. It is 

 a hopeless and futile task to attempt to discriminate between 

 isolated gymnospermous seeds which differ from one another chiefly 

 in size. The generic name Carpolithes is used in a comprehensive 

 sense for seeds of doubtful botanical position ; in a former volume ^ 



' Buckman (45). 



2 Seward (95), p. 101. 



