CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR KNOWLEDGE OF BRITISH PALEOZOIC PLANTS. 717 



The specimens were collected by Mr D. Tait, and are preserved in the Collection 

 of the Geological Survey of Scotland, Edinburgh. 



Locality. — Stein's Fireclay Works, f mile north-east of Castlecary Railway 

 Station, Stirlingshire. 



Horizon. — Upper part of Millstone Grit, Lanarkian Series. 



Stigmaria minuta Goppert. (PI. Ill, fig. 6.) 



1848. Goppert, Preisschrift iiber Steinkolden, pi. xiv, fig. 24. 



1852. Stigmaria ficoides, var. minuta, Gopp., Ulwgangs, p. 246. 



1866. Stigmaria Evenii, Lesqx., Geol. Survey of Illin., vol. ii, Paleeont., p. 488, pi. xxxix, fig. 9. 



1879. Stigmaria Evenii, Lesqx., Atlas to the Coal Flora, p. 16, pi. lxxv, fig. 1. 



1886. Stigmaria Eveni, Zeiller, Flore fuss. d. bassin houil. d. Valen., p. 618, pi. xci, fig. 7. 

 1890. Stigmaria Eveni, Grand'Eury, Bassin houil. <lu Gard, pi. xiii, fig. 13. 



1880. Stigmarioides Euenii, Lesqx., Goal Flora, p. 333. 



1890. Sliijmariopsis Eveni, Grand'Eury, Bassin houil. du Gard, p. 243. 



1894. Stigmaria ficoides, var. minima Nathorst {non Goldenberg), Foss. Flora d. Polarldnder, Erster 

 Theil, Erste Lief. : Zur palaeoz. Flora d. arJdischen Zone, p. 44, pi. viii, fig. 9, and text-fig. p. 44. 



Description.— Rhizome bearing distant rounded or elliptical scars, from 1 mm. to 

 3 mm. in diameter, with a small central elevation surrounded by a depressed ring 

 with a raised outer margin, somewhat irregularly placed and occasionally varying in 

 size on the same specimen. Cortex very finely granular, with or without irregular 

 longitudinal furrows or foldings. 



Remarks. — This species of Stigmaria, originally described as a variety of 

 Stigmaria ficoides by Goppert, has the smallest rootlet scars of any described 

 Stigmaria, and is easily distinguished from the common forms of Stigmaria ficoides 

 by this character alone. The fine granular outer surface is generally distinctly seen, 

 but on imperfectly preserved specimens may not be observable. 



Stigmaria minuta is also distinguished from Stigmaria minor Geinitz * by its 

 small rootlet scars and more distinctly granular cortex. 



The Stigmaria anabathra, var. minima Goldenberg, t must not be confused with 

 the Stigmaria minima Nathorst, from which it is quite distinct. Goldenberg' s var. 

 minima is closely related to, if not identical with, the Stigmaria minor of Geinitz 

 while Nathorst's var. minima is indistinguishable from Stigmaria minuta Gopp. 



Stigmaria minuta Gopp. is very rare in the Lanarkian Series, and hitherto I have 

 only seen it from this series from the locality and horizon mentioned below. In the 

 Westphalian Series it is more frequent, but by no means a common fossil. 



The specimen figured was collected by Mr A. Macconochie and is preserved in the 

 Collection of the Geological Survey of Scotland, Edinburgh. 



Locality. — Meadow Bank Pit, ^ mile south of Polmont, Stirlingshire. 



Horizon. — Shale resting on Ball Coal, Lanarkian Series. 



*o 



* Stigmaria ficoides, var. minor Geinitz, Vers. d. Steinkf. in Sachsen, p. 49, pi. iv, fig. 6 ; pi. x, fig. 1, 1855. 

 + Flora Hareepont foss. , Heft iii, pp. 19 and 42, pi. xiii, figs. 3, 3a, 1862. 

 TRANS. ROY. SOC. EDIN., VOL. LI, PART III (NO. 22). 105 



