G. R. Wieland — American Fossil Cycads. 221 



The principal loose fossil fruits usually referred to by paleo- 

 botanists as male fructifications of Cycadean origin are Andro- 

 strobus Baldnini, Saporta, 4 and Zamites familiaris, Corda/ 

 Still other and more problematical forms are mentioned by 

 Seward, 14 and Solms-Laubach. 9 In no case, however, is the 

 microscopic structure preserved, or a knowledge of these forms 

 at all complete. There is, therefore, no direct basis for com- 

 parison between these conical fruits and the capsular male 

 fructification of Cycadeoidea here discussed. 



Male flower bud of Cycadeoidea ingens, "Ward. 

 Figure L — Diagram of lougitudinal section. 



Figure 2.— 

 a, group of sori ; b, fleshy outer wall 



hairs ; /, undetermined body 

 Jc, peduncle. 



Both figures are natural size 



transverse " 



c, central cavity ; d, a sorus ; e, bract 

 g, basal sorus ; h, receptacle ; i, involucral bract ; 



The type specimen of Cycadeoidea ingens, Ward, 28 which 

 bears the beautiful flower bud here described, is the type of 

 the species, and is a magnificent trunk, nearly perfect, weigh- 

 ing 304 kilograms (671 pounds). In Plate II, it is represented 

 with the flower bud still in position near the summit, where it 

 appears as a conelike projection 3*5 cm in height. Sections 

 of this bud are shown in Plates III and IV. The trunk as 

 seen in Plate II is inclined slightly forward to display the 

 bases of a number of other buds of flowers equally advanced 

 in growth, but not wholly preserved. 



