22 Mr. T. Hick and Mr. J. Lomax on 



On a New Sporiferous Spike from the Lancashire Coal 

 Measures. By Thomas Hick, B.A., B.Sc, Assistant 

 Lecturer in Botany, Owens College, Manchester, 

 and James Lomax. 



(Received October 31st, 1893.) 



The fossil which forms the subject of this communica- 

 tion was found by one of us at Moor Side, near Oldham, 

 and has been derived from what is locally known as the 

 Upper Foot Coal of the Lower Coal Measures, a layer 

 which is practically identical with the Halifax Hard Bed in 

 Yorkshire. Unfortunately only a single specimen was met 

 with. From this two sections were prepared, both of which 

 are longitudinal. One is nearly, but not exactly radial, 

 except perhaps for a short distance at the base of the spike, 

 while the other is so tangential as only to meet the axis at 

 the upper extremity. The following description applies 

 exclusively to the former section, unless the contrary is 

 stated, but it contains nothing which is inconsistent with 

 the other. 



General Characters. 



The section of the spike measures 4 centimetres in 

 length by 8 or 9 millimetres in breadth. As it is not 

 complete at either end, it was probably somewhat longer 

 originally. The shape of the spike appears to have been 

 cylindrical, but whether or not there was a narrowing at the 

 ends it is impossible to say, nor is there anything to indicate 

 its position on the parent plant. 



Like many other carboniferous fruits it is composed of 

 an axis and numerous lateral appendages (Fig. 1). The 

 latter are of two kinds, sterile bracts (Fig. 1, a, fr,f), and 

 sporangiophores (g, /i) } placed at the nodes of the axis in 



