36 



BRITISH EOCENE FLORA. 



but it is distinguished from this and from Drynaria by the anastomosing of the ternary 

 veins and presence of free venules in the meshes. In the combination of marginal and 

 netted venation, it presents a special type of the Drynaria group, which has never been 

 observed in recent Eerns. 



Meniphyllum ELEC4ANS, Ett . and Gard. PI. Ill, figs. 10 — 14. 



M. pinnis siihcoriaceis, stipitatis, lanceolatis, apicem versus acH- 

 minatis, hasi acuta incEqualihus vel ohiiquis, marline inter/ err imis ; 

 nervo jjrimario valido p)'>'ominente, smpe arcuato vel jiexuoso, nervis 

 secundariis sul) ant/utis 75 — 90° orienlihus, numerosis, approximatis, 

 Jlexuosis ; nervis tertiariis angulis acutis, rarius ohtusis e nervis 

 secundariis et/redientibiis, abhreviatis, Jlexuosis ; maculis ohlongo- 

 ellipticis, ap)pendlces liberos includentibiis. 



Middle Bagshot, Bournemouth. 



At first sight these remains appear to belong to Menisciim, but 

 although the shape of the pinnae and the arrangement of the 

 secondary veins point to this affinity, the venation itself is opposed 

 to it ; for, whilst Menisciiim has the Goniopteris, this has the Drynaria 

 type. PI. Ill, fig. 13, shows the venation magnified. The fronds 

 were pinnate and probably coriaceous in texture. The pinna? are 

 shortly stipitate, the stalk passing into the mid-rib, which is curved 

 or sinuous. The secondary veins are given off at rather obtuse, 

 often almost right angles, and are numerous and closely set, thicker 

 and less sinuous, and usually alternate with more slender and sinuous 

 secondary veins. All extend to the margin, where they are either 

 forked or remain undivided. The ternary veins form various acute 

 and more rarely obtuse angles, are mostly very short and sinuous 

 and anastomose more frequently with the neighbouring secondary 

 veins than together. The meshes are of irregular oblong and 

 '^M^ elliptical shape, and contain branched free venules, 

 M\ The pinnse represented (PI. Ill, figs. 10, 11, 12) were found at 

 $/^/:/ Bournemouth in the beds near the top of the cliff" east of the Pier, 

 associated with aroids, palms, and conifers. It is sometimes found 

 gifoiiura. with Podoloma. Eig. 14 is from a sohtary specimen found under 



Branksome Watch Tower, towards Poole Harbour, associated with small oak- and 

 willow-like leaves. The pinna seems to have been slightly shrivelled at the margin 

 before it was imbedded, and hence the lateral marginal vein is hardly discernible. 



Fig. 14. — Meniscium Ion- 



