32 FLORA OF SOUTHERN NEW YORK AND NEW ENGLAND. 



These remains are undoubtedly identical with those described by Heer from 

 the Cretaceous of Greenland and bv Velenovskv from the Cretaceous of Bohemia. 

 That they belong with the ferns can hardly be questioned, and I have referred them 

 with but little hesitation to the more modern genus Thyrsopteris rather than to the 

 Paleozoic genus Sphenopteris, which latter is, in part at least, now included in the 

 order Cycadofilicales. 



The possibility of relationship between these fragments of sterile fronds and the 

 fertile fronds next described under the name Onoclea inquirenda (Hollick) might per- 

 haps be suggested, but so far as the facts now in our possession are concerned any 

 discussion of such possible relationship would be of but little value. It may, how- 

 ever, be pertinent to recall that several species of fertile fronds, similar in appearance 

 to those of Onoclea, have been included by Heer in the genus Thyrsopteris , refer- 

 ences to which may be found under the discussion of Onoclea inquirenda in this 

 monograph. 



Locality: Gay Head, Marthas Vineyard. Collected by David White. Specimens 

 in U. S. Nat. Mus. 



Family POLYPODIACEJE. 

 Onoclea inquirenda (Hollick) n. comb. 



PI. I, figs. 1-7. 



Cavlinites inquirendus Hollick, Bull. New York Bot. Gard., vol. 3, v 1904, p. 406, pi. 70, fig. 3. 

 "Fruit, composed of round carpels orspores," Hollick, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, vol. 21, 1894, p. 63, pi. 180, fig. 11. 

 Remains consisting of a simple straight stem (rachis?), with pinnately arranged branchlets (pinnae?) 

 about 1-2 centimeters in length, bearing on each side a single row of spheroidal capsules (sori?) 1-1.5 millimeters 

 in diameter. 



The above amended description is given for the reason that the original descrip- 

 tion was inadequate, having been based upon very fragmentary and incomplete 

 material. The figure which accompanied this description is reproduced on PI. I, 

 fig. 5. It apparently represents dismembered parts of an immature specimen. It 

 was included by me in the monocotyledonous genus Caulinites on account of its 

 similarity in appearance to the figures of C. fecundus Lesq./ although its probable 

 relationship with the ferns was recognized, and the reference of C. fecundus to the 

 genus Onoclea, by Knowlton, 6 was mentioned. 



With the aid of the additional material now in our possession we are enabled to 

 form a better idea of the general appearance of the organism and may consider it 

 and other similar remains as apparently representing the fertile fronds of ferns, and 

 the question of botanical relationship is thus reduced to that of the fern genus 

 which they most nearly resemble. 



Some of the smaller detached portions of our specimens resemble Osmunda 

 petiolata Heer c and 0. Obergiana Heer, d from the Cretaceous of Greenland, and COm- 

 et Tertiary Flora, pi. 14, figs. 1-3. 

 b Bull. U. S. Geol. Survey No. 152, p. 153. 

 c Fl. Foss. Arct., vol. 3 (Kreide-Fl.), p. 5^ pi. 3, figs. 2c, 2d. 

 d Ibid., p. 98, pi. 26, fig. 9d. 



