J. jS. Newberry — Bhoetie Plants from Honchcras. 345 



Taeniopteris glossopteroides Newb. 



Frond simple, six to twelve inches in length by one and a 

 half to two inches in width, spatulate in outline, summit sub- 

 acute, base long-wedge-shaped, the median nerve strong and 

 smooth, the lateral nerves relatively sparse and distinct, fre- 

 quently forked at base, more rarely above, the branches some- 

 times approaching, forming elongated areoles but never inos- 

 culating. 



This species was first obtained from Sonora, Mexico, and was 

 described in the San Juan Report, p. 147, PI. vm, fig. 2a. By 

 an error of the draughtsman the lateral nerves were represented 

 as inosculating, but recent observation has shown that they do 

 not join. Owing to this error another plant was confounded 

 with this, which strengthened the misapprehension in regard 

 to its nervation. This latter plant is shown in fig. 2 of the 

 plate cited, where it is given a strong midrib, though it had 

 none, unless toward the base ; but has a distinctly reticulated 

 nervation. It therefore belongs to Feistmantel's genus Gan- 

 gamopteris and I have called it G. Amerieanus* The plant I 

 have named Taeniopteris glossopteroides is represented by a 

 number of specimens in the collection of Mr. Leggett, but 

 unfortunately owing to the weathering of the rock they do not 

 show the nervation well. The lateral nerves from base to 

 summit leave the midrib at an acute angle, generally arching 

 with a gentle curve to the margin, but sometimes nearly 

 straight. They are often forked near the base, more rarely 

 above, sometimes running near together, but apparently never 

 join. This nervation is just that of Taeniopteris marantacea 

 Presl. (Pecopteris macrophyllum Brongt., Stangerites maran- 

 tacea Bornem), a plant made the type of his genus Danaeopsis 

 by Heer ; but in that plant the frond is pinnate, in ours it is 

 symmetrically spatulate, gradually narrowed to the base, and 

 was undoubtedly simple. In all the characters shown in the 

 specimens before me this plant comes nearest to the group of 

 Permian species to which Schimper restricts the name of 



* The distinction between Gangamopteris and Glossopleris is not quite as clear 

 as it might appear from a comparison of the specimens figured and described by 

 Feistmantel in his Flora of the Talchir-Karharbari Beds ; the diagnostic character 

 of Gangamopteris, the absence of a midrib, being variable, as shown in his 

 Glossopteris decipiens (op. cit, p. 17, PL xvm, figs. 3-5), in which the midrib 

 fades out. in the upper part of the leaf. This I find also to be true of a number 

 of Australian specimens in my possession. These include many leaves of small 

 size having the spatulate outline and rounded summit of G. Broivniana, and 

 labeled as such, and others, much larger, of G. ampla Dana. Both these forms 

 show a midrib only near the base, and have a nervation but sparingly reticulate, 

 with elongated meshes. Other specimens representing Dana's G. elongata and G. 

 reticulum (Geol. U. S. Exploring Expedition Atlas, PI. xin, figs. 2, 3, 4) have the 

 midrib persistent to the summit and the nervation strongly reticulate throughout. 

 These two forms might stand for Gangamopteris and Glossopteris if to the former 

 genus a midrib were conceded for part of the length of the frond. 



