RADSTOCK SERIES OF THE SOMERSET AND BRISTOL COAL FIELD. 351 



two sporangia (?). The main rachis and those of the pinnae are stout, and pitted 

 with scale-scars. 



Remarks. — It is with considerable reservation that I place this species in 

 the genus Ptychocarpus, Weiss. 



The general appearance of my specimen exhibits a great similarity to Weiss' 

 genus, but, on minute examination, I cannot positively affirm that the longi- 

 tudinal cleft entirely divides the two supposed sporangia, as it does in P. 

 hexastichus, Weiss (loc. cit., pi. xi. fig. 2). The usual appearance of the fruit of 

 the Camerton plant is shown at Plate XX. figs. 2a and b ; at fig. 2b the cleft is 

 seen to be much more prominent in the central part than at the two extremities, 

 where it becomes indistinct. This may be merely caused by imperfect preserva- 

 tion, or even by the degree of maturity at which the specimen had arrived when 

 embedded. This supposed bi-sporangial synangium is generally surrounded by 

 a faint border, as shown at figs. 2a and b, which appears as a slight surrounding 

 staining, but is clearly observable in many cases. 



The pinnules seem to have been divided into lobes, on each of which was 

 borne a (?) synangium. I am disposed to think that this surrounding border 

 may not represent an indusium, but the margin of the limb of the pinnule 

 on which the sporangia sat. The fruit seems to have had a firm consistency, 

 and has still considerable elevation. 



On collecting this fossil, my first impression was that each segment of the 

 pinnules bore a split exannulate sporangium, but, as a result of further examina- 

 tion and comparison with the description of Ptychocarpus, Weiss, I have pro- 

 visionally placed it in that genus. 



The only example met with is that figured. 



Locality : — Camerton. 



Schizostachys, Grand' Eury, 1877, Flore carbon du Departement de la 



Loire, §c, p. 200. 



Remarks. — This genus is characterised by its oblong, slightly curved, pedi- 

 cellate sporangia, attached around a common point, or on the sides of a short 

 pedicel. In the species described by Grand' Eury* the cellular tissue of the 

 sporangia was still visible ; some of these cells were especially prominent, and 

 formed a band which encircled the sporangium. This band may perhaps repre- 

 sent an annulus. On the surface of the sporangia is a longitudinal line, to 

 which these (?) annulus-forming cells seem to lie at a right angle. 



Grand' Eury regarded his Schizostachys frondosus as the male inflorescence 

 of Noeggerathia ; Renault, on the other hand, places it among the ferns,t and 

 this appears to be its true position. 



* Schizostachys frondosus ; on his pi. xvii. fig. 3, named Androstachys frondosus. 

 f Cours d. botan. foss., Troisieme Ann^e, 1883, p. 103. 

 VOL. XXXIII. PART II. 3 G 



