CLADOPHLEBIS. 95 



of fructification, and therefore the genus CladopMebis has been, 

 retained. The comparison of these sterile fronds with those of 

 recent ferns is of no great value, especially in such a case as this, 

 where the form of frond has no very distinctive features ; hut, 

 without wishing to attach any importance to the resemhlance, 

 there is a marked similarity between such a specimen as PI. VIII. 

 (V. 2794) and Onoclea Struthiopteris, HofEm,' the strong flat 

 rachis, the angle at which the pinnae are given off, and the 

 more or less falcate pinnules, all agreeing fairly closely. 



The common species Cladophlelis WMtlyensis (Brong.), to which 

 reference has already been made, has been placed by some authors 

 in the genus Pteris ; by others referred to under the name 

 Asplenimn ; and, more recently, assigned by Eaciborski to the 

 OsmnndimecR. It is better, I am inclined to think, to regard this 

 Jurassic species as representing a certain widely spread type of 

 frond, which, in all probability, includes under the same name 

 plants which would be referred to different genera and species 

 had we the necessary data to guide us. C. WMtlyensis (Brong.) 

 is an excellent example of a Mesozoic fern of doubtful affinity 

 with an unusually wide geographical range ; it is of very similar 

 habit to C. Allertsii (Dunk.). 



The following are some of the records of C. Whitlyensis and 

 allied forms illustrating the cosmopolitan nature of this particular 

 type of frond : — 



Cladophlebis Whitbyensis (Brong.).^ 



England. Alethopteris Whitbyensis, L. and H., Foss, Flor. pi. cxxxiv. 

 France. Cladophlebis Rosserti, Saporta, Pal. Fran^. ser. ii. vol. i. 1873, 



pi. XIX. fig. 4. 

 Germany. Asplenites Mosserti, Schenk, Fl. foss. Grenz. Keup. Lias, 



pi. vii. figs. 6 and 7 ; pi. a. figs. 1-4. 

 Hungary. Alethopteris Whitbyensis, Gopp. Andrae, Abh. k.-k. geol. 



Eeichs. toI. ii. Abth. iii. No. 4, p. 32. 

 Sweden. Cladophlebis {nebbensis yar.) Rosserti, Nathorst, Syer. Geol. 



TJndersokn. 8vo. 1878. Fl. Hoganas. pi. ii. fig. 1. 

 BoBNHOLU. Asplenium Rosserti, Bartholui, Bot. Tid. Bot. For. KjovenhaTn, 



1892, Tol. xviii. Heft i. pi. tI. figs. 4-6, pi. vii. figs. 1-2. 

 Asplenium nebhense, Barthoini, loe. eif. pi. vii. figs, 3-6. 



' Luerssen includes Struthiopteris Germcmica, "Willd., as a synonym of Onoclea 

 Struthiopteris, Hoffm. See Eabenhorst's Krypt. Flora, vol. iii. 1889, p. 485. 

 ■ * Hist. veg. foss. p. 321, pi. cix. figs. 2-4. 



