126 DR ROBERT KIDSTON ON THE 



slightly spreading, apex sometimes incurved, and when perfect about the length of 

 two internodes, more numerous than the sporangiophores. Probably six sporangio- 

 phores in a whorl, which arise from the axil of a bract, each bearing four sporangia ; 

 sporangia oval, homosporous. Microspores m 70 to m 100 in diameter, smooth, with a 

 small triradiate ridge. 



Remarks. — The cone shown on PL IX. fig. 3, natural size, wants a small part 

 of both the apex and the base, but is otherwise very well preserved. 



It is slightly contracted at the base, and probably little is missing from that end. 

 The part preserved is 620 cm. long and about 0*80 cm. wide measured across the 

 sporangia, but the bracts extend further outwards. It contains eighteen short 

 internodes about 3*75 mm. long. Unfortunately, the specimen does not enable one 

 to determine the number of the lanceolate bracts which compose the whorls. They 

 at first spring outwards at almost right angles to the axis, and then bend upwards 

 past the spreading sporangia which spring from their axils and reach almost to the 

 top of the second internode above that from which they spring. 



The sporangia are large, oval, slightly narrowed at base, and from 270 mm. to 

 3 '10 mm. long, and therefore occupy almost the whole length of the internode. It is 

 difficult to determine the number of sporangial groups in a whorl, owing to the 

 compressed condition of the specimen, but I do not think the sporangiophores were 

 very numerous, perhaps not more than six in a whorl. If one examines the portion 

 of the cone enlarged 2 times at fig. 3a, there do not appear to be more than three 

 pairs of sporangia visible on the exposed surface of the cone ; so we are therefore 

 probably looking at the exposed surface of three groups of four sporangia. In the 

 whole verticil there would therefore probably be six sporangiophores, each bearing 

 four sporangia. 



One of the sporangia from the base of the cone was removed and treated 

 by the acid-ammonia process, when it was found to contain very numerous circular 

 microspores with a small triradiate ridge, measuring on an average /« 80 in diameter. 

 Palseostachya Ettingshauseni is therefore probably homosporous. Some microspores 

 are seen enlarged 50 times at fig. 36, and one 500 times at fig. 3c. 



Palseostachya Ettingshauseni, which is the cone of Catamites Sachsei Stur (pars), 

 is closely related to Palseostachya elongata Presl, sp., but is easily distinguished 

 by its small size and less dense mode of growth. 



It is not common in the South Staffordshire Coal Field, where, though the cone 

 has been found, no specimens of the parent plant. Calamites Sachsei Stur, have been 

 discovered, as far as 1 am aware. 



The specimen figured by Lindley and Hutton on pis. xv. and xvi. of their Fossil 

 Flora as the foliage of Calamites nodoaus (non Schlotheim) ( = Calamites ramosus Artis) 

 are fortunately preserved. The small branch shown on pi. xv. has no organic con- 

 nection with the stem which occurs close to it, and its position is merely accidental. 

 Both this and the specimen given on pi. xvi. are fertile branches of Palseostachya 



