FOSSIL FLORA OF THE STAFFORDSHIRE COAL FIELDS. 325 



Remarks. — Two specimens of this, the first true conifer I have met with in British 

 Carboniferous rocks, have been found during the sinking of the shaft. 



That figured comes from a bed of red marl at a depth of 350 yards from the surface ; 

 the other specimen is from a similar red bed, but at a depth of 411 yards. 



Fig. 9 is taken from the first-mentioned specimen, and shows a number of lateral 

 branches springing from the main stem. The leaves on the branchlets are tolerably well 

 shown at various parts of the fossil, but the main stem is indistinct, and does not show 

 any foliage. The stem leaves of this species are figured by Schimper. Both branch and 

 stem leaves are distinctly keeled from the presence of a prominent mid-rib. 



The second example only shows a number of lateral branchlets, and is not so well 

 preserved as that given at fig. 9. 



Schenk* unites Walchia imbricata and W. Jlaccida, Gopp., to W. piniformis, 

 Schloth., sp., as younger conditions of development. The same author also unites several 

 other species of Walchia with W. piniformis. 



As there appears to be some difference of opinion as to the value of some of these 

 species, I provisionally adopt Schimper's name for the Hamstead plant, with whose 

 figure and description it agrees in all respects. 



Walchia is essentially a Permian genus, but on several occasions W. piniformis, 

 Schloth., sp., has been recorded from the Coal Measures.t Conversely, several species 

 which attain their maximum development in the Coal Measures extend into the Permian 

 formation. In fact, there is a much greater similarity between the flora of the Upper 

 Coal Measures and that of the Permian than exists between that of the Upper and Lower 

 Carboniferous Rocks. 



In stating that this record of W. imbricata is the first occurrence of a coniferous 

 plant in the Carboniferous Rocks of Great Britain, it should be mentioned that there is 

 now the strongest evidence to show that the stems previously supposed to be coniferous 

 (Araucarioxylon) are cycadaceous.J 



Horizons: — At depths of 350 and 411 yards. 



II. The Flora of the Middle Coal Measures. 



A very imperfect idea is afforded of the richness of the flora of the Middle Coal 

 Measures, as developed in South Staffordshire, from the few specimens collected at 

 Hamstead ; but the meagre list of species recorded gives sufficient data for the comparison 

 of the flora of the two divisions of the Coal Measures occurring at Great Barr. 



* Zittel's Handbuch d. palceont, Band ii. Lief iii. p. 272, 1884. 



t Zeiller, Ve'ge't. foss. du terr. houil., p. 135; Geinitz, Vers. d. Stinhf. in Sachsen, p. 33. 



X See Grand' Eury, Flore Carbon, du De'part. de la Loire, p. 249, 1877 ; Schenk, in Zittel's Handbuch d. Palceont., 

 Band ii. Lief iii. p. 243, 1884 ; Renault, Gours. d. botan. foss., 1881, p. 82. 



VOL. XXXV. PART 6. 3 H 



