340 J. W. Dawson— -Brian Flora of the United States. 



Lycopodites of which L. Vanuxemii of the American Devonian 

 and L. pennctformis of the European Lower Carboniferous are 

 the types, and it shows, what might have been anticipated 

 from other specimens, that they were low tufted plants, cir- 



As these plants constitute a small but distinct group, known 

 only, so far as I am aware, in the Lower Carboniferous and 

 Erian or Devonian, they deserve a generic name, and I pro 

 posed for them in my Paper on Scottish Devonian Plants. 

 1878, that of Ptibphylon, a name sufficiently distinct in sound 

 from Psilophyton, and expressing very well their peculiar 

 feather-like habit of growth. The genus was defined as follows : 



"Branching plants, the branches bearing long slender leaves 

 in two or more ranks, giving them a feathered appeal a nee ; 



cate that it was home on the liases of the leaves or on modified 

 branches with shorter leaves." 



The Scottish specimen above referred to was named PL 

 Thoinsuhi, and was characterized by its densely tufted form 

 and thick branches. The other species known are : 

 Pt. pennceformis Goeppert, L. Carboniferous. 

 PL Vanuj'r.udi. Dawson, Devonian. 

 JPt. plumula Dawson, L. Carboniferous. 



Shumard's FiliciU s 'ire- Ms, from the Devonian of Ohio, and 

 Slur's Pi/iil':s utilecedens, from the Lower Carboniferous of 

 Silesia, may possibly belong to the same genus. The Scottish 

 specimen referred to is apparently the first appearance of this 

 form in the Devonian of Europe. 



I have at a still later date had opportunities of studying con- 

 siderable series of these plants collected by Professor Williams 

 of Cornell University, and have prepare.! a note in reference 

 to them for the American Association, of which, however, only 

 an abstract has been published. I have also been favored by 

 Professor Lesquereux and Mr. Lacoe of Pittston, with the 

 opportunity of si ml vi \n the specimens referred to Trod 



Professor Williams's specimens occur in a dark shale asso- 

 ciated with remains of land plants of the genera /' 

 Uh<,i>-u, etc., and also marine shells, of which a small species 

 of L'lii/iiehourlla is often attached to the stems of the Ptifoph >/(<>». 

 Tims these organisms have evidently been deposited in marine 

 beds, but in association with land plants. 



The study of the specimens collected by Professor Williams 

 developes the following facts: (1.) The plants are not contin- 

 uous fronds, but slender stems or petioles with narrow linear 

 leaflets attached in a pinnate manner. (2.) The pinnules are 

 so articulated that they break off leaving delicate transverse 

 scars, and the lower parts ol ti < st« i is are often thus denuded 



