LEPIDOPHLOIOS, AND ON THE BRITISH SPECIES OF THE GENUS. 549 



the upper end of the cushion ; and by a few, that in some species the leaf-scar was at the 

 upper end, and in other species that it was at the lower end of the cushion. 



These remarks show that, up to the present, much confusion exists as to the relation- 

 ship of these genera to one another, and this has induced me to go fully into the subject, 

 and to give the evidence which has led me for some years to believe that Lomatophloios, 

 Halonia, and Cycloclcodia, Goldenberg {not L. and H.), must be united to Lepido- 

 phloios. 



The differences of opinion on the affinities of these fossils, to which reference has 

 already been made, arises, in great measure, from the imperfection of the material 

 examined, and I hope to show, from the specimens I now describe, — 



I. That Lomatophloios, Corda, Halonia, L. and H., and Cyclocladia, Goldenberg 

 {not L. and H.), belong to Lepidophloios, Sternberg. 



II. That the fruit was in the form of cones, borne on the Halonia branches. 



III. That, in some species (as far as at present demonstrable), the leaf-cicatrices 

 were situated at the upper end of the leaf-cushions ; and, in other species, 

 at the lower end of the leaf-cushions ; and that, in one species at least, the 

 direction of the cushion (and consequently of the leaf-scar) alters with the 

 age of the plant.* 



Description of Specimens bearing on the relationship of Halonia to Lepidophloios. 



Reference has already been made, when reviewing the literature of this subject, to the 

 specimens described by Eichwald, Feistmantel, Goldenberg, Williamson, Macfarlane, 

 and others. I shall now describe some examples which have come under my personal 

 observation. 



Specimen figured and described by Mr CarruthersA (PL II. figs. 8, 8a, 8b.) 

 I have already shortly referred to this specimen,! but as it has been regarded as 

 proving that Halonia was the fruiting branch of Lepidodendron, I must describe it here 

 more fully. 



I am indebted to Dr Henry Woodward, F.R.S., for a plaster cast of this fossil, 

 which consists of a portion of a stem about 12 inches long that bifurcates about 5 inches 

 above its base. The fork on the right, which is almost in a line with the undivided 

 portion, is somewhat thicker than the fork to the left. Immediately below the fork the 

 stem is about 2| inches wide ; the right-hand fork of the dichotomy is about 2 inches 

 thick, while that on the left increases slightly in width upwards, and at its thickest part 

 is rather over If inches. The stems are little compressed, having, in section, a rounded 



* This alteration of the direction of the scales or cushions may occur in all the species, hut we do not at present 

 possess the proof that such is the universal rule in this genus. 



t Geol. Mag., 1873, p. 145. % Gatal. Palseoz. Plants, p. 171, 1886. 



