FOSSIL PLANTS. 459 



This definition brings together the genera Caulopteris, Stemma- 

 topteris and Ptycliopteris of Corda, for reasons which cannot be 

 discussed here. Species of this genus are rarely found in the 

 Coal Measures. The whole coal flora of Europe has a single 

 species of the section Stemmatopteris, and three or four species 

 of the true Caulopteris. The coal flora of the United States 

 already counts six species of Stemmatopteris, but none referable 

 to the section Gaulopteris. 



Caulopteris insignis, Sp. nov. PI. 49, fig. 1. Scars very 

 large, exactly oval, bordered by a smooth, broad (about one 

 inch) annules. Vascular scars horse-shoe shaped, with the 

 internal branches descending nearly to the basal line, where 

 they unite in a point, forming a spatulate, pointed or beaked 

 medial rib, with two at first parallel and then diverging semi- 

 lunar appendages; surface smooth, except the rib which is 

 marked by irregular, deep points in its whole length, and in 

 the space between the appendages. The State Cabinet has two 

 specimens of this remarkable species, both from Duquoin. 

 Lower Coal Measures. 



From the size of these scars it could be supposed that they 

 were from very large trees. But the marks of the petioles of 

 fern trees are comparatively large. The stem of the following 

 species is ten inches in circumference, and the size of the scars 

 is one-fourth of those of this species. If the proportion in the 

 development of the stem was the same, the tree bearing this 

 cicatrix would have been only about 14 inches in diameter. 



Caulopteris Wortlienii, Sp. nov. PL 50, fig. 1. Stems slen- 

 der, about three inches in diameter, somewhat compressed ; 

 scars distant, round at the base, narrowed, horse-shoe shaped 

 above, with converging branches; vascular scars of the same 

 form as the annules, marked near the base by a semi-lunar 

 obscure appendage. The specimen figured here is replaced 

 by sandstone. It appears to be decorticated; at least the sur- 

 face is perfectly smooth. The position of the scars is marked 



