THE FOSSIL OSMUNDACE^. 461 



The Root. 



The roots arise in pairs from the sides of the leaf- trace, just as the latter becomes 

 free from the stele of the stem. They obtain a cortex of their own immediately on 

 entering the sclerotic zone. In the coating of leaf-bases this cortex consists of an inner 

 thin-walled and an outer thick-walled zone (fig. 21). The xylem strand is invariably 

 diarch and of considerable thickness. Since a transverse section of the stock also cuts 

 nearly all the roots transversely, they must have, for the most part, grown almost verti- 

 cally upwards, as has already been described in other Osmundaceze. 



Locality. — Herbertsdale, Cape Colony. Collected by Mr Kolbe, and presented by 

 him to the South African Museum, Cape Town. 



Horizon. — Uitenhagen Series (Wealden). Associated with fronds of Cladophlebis 

 denticulata, Brongt. sp., and Cladophlebis Browniana, Dunk. sp. # 



Osmundites Schemnitzensis, Pettko, sp. 

 (PI. III., figs. 22-27 ; PL IV., fig. 28.) 



1847. Berichte iiber die Mittheilungen von Freunrten der Naturioissenschaften im Wien, vol. iii. 



p. 274 (fide Pettko). 

 1849. Aslerochlxna Schemnicensis, Pettko, " Tubicaulis von Ilia bei Schemnitz," Haidinger's Natur- 



ivissensc/iaftliche Abhandl., Bd. iii., Theil i., p. 163, pi. xx., Wien. 

 1853. Osmundites Schemnicensis, linger, " Ein Fossiles Farnkraut aus der Ordnnng der Osmundaceen," 



Denksch. d. math. Naturwiss., Classe d. K. Alcad. d. Wissensfih., Bd. iv. p. 1, pi. i., Wien. 

 1867. Osmunda Schemnitzensis, Stur, " Beitr. z. Fl. d. Siisswasserquarze im Wien im Ung. Beck.," 



Jahrb. d. K. K. geol. Reiclisanst., vol. xvii. p. 136, pi. iii. figs. 1-3. 

 1869. Osmunda Schemnitzensis, Schimper, Traite de PaUont. vegSt., vol. i. p. 678. 

 1873. Osmunda Schemnitzensis, Zeiller and Henry, Annates des Mines, 7 1&me ser., tome iii. p. 27S. 



In consequence of the suggestion made in the first part of this work that Osmund- 

 ites Schemnitzensis was possibly identical with 0. Doivkeri, M. Zeiller kindly offered 

 to place at our disposal some specimens of the former species collected by M. Henry 

 and himself at the original locality of Illia. This offer was gratefully accepted, and we 

 take this opportunity of expressing to him our sincere thanks for enabling us to include 

 Osmundites Schenmitzensis in this paper. 



The material received contained the remains of three distinct stocks and also frag- 

 ments of the coating of leaf-bases. No traces of pinnae, pinnules, or sporangia were 

 found, although the late Dr Stur t describes impressions of fronds found in the same 

 locality, which he refers to this species under the name of Osmunda Schemnitzensis. 



The following is an excerpt from the account by MM. Zeiller and Henry 

 describing the mode of occurrence of the specimens : — " Deposits of fresh-water quartz 



* Seward, " Fossil Plants from South Africa," Geol. Mag., N.S., decade v., vol. iv. p. 482, 1907. 

 t Stur, " Beit. z. Fl. d. Siisswasserquarze im Wien im Ung. Beck.," Jahrb. d. K. K. geol. Beichsanst., vol. xvii. 

 p. 136, 18G7. 



