3.2 



* 



BRITISH EOCENE FLORA. 



Saporta objects to the reference of this fossil to a Eern, as he considers the venation to- 

 be quite unlike that of any Eern, and to belong to a type common among dicotyledons. 

 Heer also states that, in his opinion, " it is not a Eern, but a leaf of a Dicotyledon." It 

 is fonnd associated with Podoloma. 



(c) Pteridea. 



Pteius EOC/EiMCA, J'Jtl. and Ganl. Plate IV, figs. 4— (i. 



P.fronde piuiiafa, jjoniix rliavlii ajif/ulo peracnto insertis, ses.silibus valde elovr/atis, 

 lanceolato4inearibit!i, aciniiinalh^ hasi ubliq/iis, marfjine ten wissiiiie serrulatis ; nervuiione 

 Neuropieridis acrosficJiacece, iicrco prliitario proiiiineiile, recto, apicehi versus seusini 

 attenualo ; uervis secundariif> suh uiipidis 40 — o(f oriejitibiis, I'o mUllin. inter se distcmtibus^ 

 hi- vet trifnrcatis, rarissiine siiiiplieibus, raiiiis inter se parattelis, cum nervo priinario 

 an(julum suljrectwin for luan I i b us. 



Middle Bagshot, Bouriiemoutli. 



This species is characterised by its long, narrrow pinnae, ulhch quit the rachis at 

 angles of about 35°. Towards the apex of the frond they are sometimes continent, 

 decurrent below on the rachis, as in PI. IV, hgs. 4 and 5, and apparently petiolated. 

 towards the base. The terminal pinna is the largest. The margins of the pinnae are 

 sinuous or alternately lobed, and very finely toothed. The midrib is prominent and 

 elongated. The secondary veins are numerous and crowded, spring at acute angles, 

 curve outwards to the margin, and terminate in the teeth, the maj(jrity of them being 

 once, sonie twice forked, and a very few undivided- The venation is of the type of 

 Neuropteris acrostichacea, which is not uncommon in recent and fossil species of Fteris. 



P. eocanica resembles very closely a number of living species of Pteris, as P. crenata, 

 P. cretica, &c. It also resembles the Aquitanian species, P. pejinaforuiis, Heer,^ but 

 may be distinguished by the secondary veins, which are less crowded and more generally 

 forked, and by the margin, which is lobed and toothed in a nmch more pronounced 

 manner. It even more closely resembles P. Parscldu(jiana, Unger, and P . Gaud/mi, Ileer, 

 but differs from the former in the much more acute angle at which the pinnaj leave the 

 rachis, whilst the latter, founded upon a single and very small fragment, has no specific 

 character, and is possibly, as suggested by lieer himself,' a fragment of P. pennafonuis. 

 The American Eocene species P. snbsimjAex and P. erosa, while possessing the same 



1 ' Flor. Tert. Ilelv.' vol. i, p. 38, pi. xii, fig. 1. 



2 'Flor. Ter. Helv.,' vol. i, p. 39. 



3 Lesq , 'Tert. flora of Aiuerici,' 1878, pi. iv, pp. 52, 53. 



