Vol. 58.] OF FOSSIL PLANTS FROM NEW SOUTH WALES. 15 
Ph. australis, Brongt., in possessing branched stems. On the other 
hand, Ph. Hookeri is distinguished from both Ph. australis and 
Ph. ramosa by coarsely sulcate or ridged stems, with a 
looser sheath, as long as the internode, the free segments 
of which are thick, and have a strong and prominent 
midrib. Three specimens are figured of this type by McCoy, one of 
which (pl. xi, fig. 7, No. 10) belongs to another species altogether.’ 
Another (pl. xi, fig. 4, No. 12) is from Clarke’s Hill, as already 
described. Init, the sheath certainly appears to be looser ; but the 
stem is very faintly striated longitudinally, and the sheath extends 
only to half the length of the internode. In the specimen of 
Ph. Hookeri figured by McCoy from Mulubimba (pl. xi, figs. 5 & 
6, No. 9), the largest fragment is 33 inches long, with nodes 12 
inches long, and fairly lax sheaths 3 inch in length. The stem is 
only faintly striated. The leaves appear better preserved, and 
show, in places, a prominent midrib. It therefore appears that 
Ph. Hookeri differs from Ph. australis and Ph. ramosa in its looser 
leaf-sheath and more prominent midrib. ‘The stem is not, however, 
strongly grooved longitudinally, nor the leaf-sheath longer relatively 
to the internode. The character of the midrib, as a point of specific 
importance, may be dismissed at once, as most of the specimens are 
too badly preserved to show this structure. ‘The looseness of the 
sheath is, therefore, the only real distinction between these Species, 
I would regard all the specimens of Phyllotheca just discussed, as 
belonging to Ph. australis, Brongt., enlarging Brongniart’s defini- 
tion to include branched specimens, and those with lax sheaths. 
Feistmantel ? expressed himself strongly in favour of this conclusion. 
In addition to the specimens already described there are others 
in the collection, which merit a word of description. 
Specimen -No. 13. [Figured by McCoy (47) pl. xi, fig. 2.J— 
This is the branched specimen, figured by McCoy as Ph. ramosa. 
The axis, which is 43 inches long and 3 inch broad, is exceedingly 
badly preserved, and shows hardly any structural features. Appa- 
rently it bears no leaves. The nodes are 2 inch apart. It is 
impossible to say how many branches come off at the node, but 
there is apparently always one from each. Possibly the axis is 
itself a primary branch bearing secondary branches, such as 
Prof, Zeiller * has described in the case of Ph. Rallii, but there is no 
evidence in this case. ‘The branches, one of which is 3 inches long, 
have nodes 4 inch apart, and sheaths, apparently closely appressed, 
extend at the most to half the length of the internode. The free 
portions of the leaves average 7 inch in length. The leaves and 
sheaths in this specimen are much smaller than those previously 
mentioned, but only relatively to the smaller internodes. 
As in the case of Ph. Rallit as figured by Prof. Zeiller,* numerous 
isolated leaf-sheaths occur in this, and other specimens (Nos. 33 & 
' See p. 17. 2 Feistmantel (90) p. 80. 
3 Zeiller (99) p. 65. * Zeiller (99) pl. v, figs. 4-10 & 12. 
