PTERIDOPHYTA. 



150 



D^D 





mahal) Gondwanas of India; and in certain New Zealand beds, 

 correlated by Baron von Ettingshausen with the Trias. In the last 

 subfamily, or the Aspidiece, the cosmopolitan Aspidium and the 

 allied Lastrcea occur commonly from the Middle Tertiaries upwards. 



Fossil Families. — An enormous number of Palaeozoic and Meso- 

 zoic Ferns belong to this series, but only a few of the more important 

 types can be even mentioned. The Sphenopteridece comprise a 

 number of Ferns, mostly of very delicate structure, and extremely 

 difficult to classify. They are usually multipinnate, with the pinnae 

 in some cases dichotomous ; 

 at least the terminal leaflets ^^^-^ a- 

 are narrowed at the base; %t6 ' ' ~ =:: 'i\ \i. <] 

 while all are often lobate, 

 and with the veins dividing 

 in a pinnate or forked man- 

 ner from the base. The fruc- 

 tification of some forms has 

 been described by Mr Kid- 

 ston, and it is suggested that 

 one or more of the genera 

 may be allied to the existing 

 Hymeiwphyllacece. Many of 

 the species have exceedingly 



delicate fronds. Among the Carboniferous genera may be men- 

 tioned Sphenopteris (fig. 1369), Calymmatotheca^ Zeiileria, Urna- 

 topteris, in which there are fertile and sterile leaves, OZigocarpia, 

 Renaultia, Rhachopteris, Sphenopteridium, and Eremopteris (fig. 

 1370). Of these, the first ranges from the Devonian to the Lower 

 Jurassic of Europe, and is also found throughout a large part of the 

 Indian Gondwanas, in the African Karoo system, in the Australian 

 Hawkesbury beds, in New Zealand, and the Palaeozoic of the United 

 States. 1 Ere?nopteris also occurs in the Indian Gondwanas, and 

 ranges in Europe to the Permian ; and a Fern from the Kimeridgian 

 of France has been named Stenopteris. 



The family Archceopteridece (Palceopteridece) was placed by Schim- 

 per in the present serial position ; but the recent observations of 

 Mr Kidston upon the type genus appear to indicate that it should 

 be transferred to the Stipulate — although, until the necessity for 

 such transference be absolutely proved, it appears preferable to 

 leave the family in its old position. The leaves are bipinnate, and 

 both these and the leaflets are usually stalked ; the leaflets being 

 broad and often lobate. The type genus Archceopteris, which has 



Fig. 1369. — Part of a leai of Sphenopteris 

 trifoliata ; from the European Carboniferous. 

 (After Schimper.) 



1 Ferns from the Laramie beds and American Tertiaries have been referred to 

 this genus. 



