8 ERNST ANTEVS, LEPIDOPTERIS OTTONIS (GÖPP.) SCHIMP. AND ANTHOLITHUS ZEILLERI NATH. 
the venation, according to GOTHAN (1909, No. 11; fig. I B), is likely to be aletho- 
pteridic. 
The basal portion (pl. 1, figs. 3, 4) of the stalk is oblique, widened, and shows 
clearly that the specimen represents the base of the whole frond. 
The first description of Lepidopteris Ottonis was given by GÖPPERT in 1836, 
though BERGER already some years earlier had mentioned and figured a couple of leaf- 
-fragments, probably belonging to this species. Some years afterwards GÖPPERT (1845, 
p- 201) described the plant for the second time, now under a new name, a mistake 
which he himself, however, immediately corrected (1845 a, p. 144). About two decades 
later, BRAUNS, who had obviously overlooked the earlier authors, again described the 
plant as a new species, and ScHENK gave a detailed description and discussion of it. 
While these authors in their classifications, as mentioned, allowed the segmentation 
and the habit to decide the matter, SCcHIMPER (1869, p. 572) raised another attribute, 
the supposed presence of scales, to the rank of specific generic character, and instituted 
for this as well as for some other forms a new genus Lepidopteris. But he overlooked 
the fact that BRAUNS's Pecopteris Grumbrechti was identical with Lepidopteris Ottonis. 
SCHIMPER'S idea of forming a separate genus for these plants, was no doubt 
very good, for, on account of the roughness of the epidermis, they are very charac- 
teristie and well separated from other forms agreeing in habit. 
Finally, NATHORST (1878, pp. 11, 21, 29) described the species from Scania 
under different names; later on, however, he (1886, p. 117) undertook the necessary 
unions. The fragment figured as Asplenites Ottonis in the Flora at Pålsjö (1876, 
pl. 2, fig. 8) has no connection with this species. 
In the roughness of the rachis, in the thick consistence as well as in the gen- 
eral shape, the species here treated presents a great resemblance to Lepidopteris 
stuttgardiensis. But in most cases they are well separated, as the latter always seems 
to be bipinnate, and possesses more linear, at the apex rounded pinnules, which are 
often closely occupied by tubercles similar to those on the rachis. 
On account of the fern-like habit, writers on the the subject have from the 
very beginning regarded the systematic position of the plants in question as settled, 
and disagreement has only been in reference to the nature of the sori. On this 
point, however, opinions have divided, one author having described sori of one type, 
another author of quite a different one. Thus, GÖPPERT (1845 a, p. 144) thought he 
had found rounded sori in one row on each side of the midrib, ScHENK (1867, p. 
53) oblong ones along the lateral veins, and finally NATHORST (1886, p. 117) rounded 
sori near the margins of the segments. SEWARD (1900, p. 140 and 1910, p. 346) has 
on two occasions made the suggestion that Asplenites Ottonis (= Lepidopteris Ottonis) 
is the fertile form of the frond ascribed by ScHENK to Asplenites Rösserti (PRESL.) 
SCHENK. Quite recently GOTHAN (1909, No. 110) adopted ScHENE's opinion. Finally, 
there are authors who believe they have also found sori in other species of the same 
genus, wiz. in Lepidopteris stuttgardiensis (SCHIMPER 1869, p. 574; pl. 34, fig. 1 and 
GOTHAN 1909, No. 111) and in Lepidoplteris rigida (IKKURR.) ScHIMP. (SCHIMPER 1869, 
pi»B73 snpl; B4;nfigsi 25) 
