EOCENE FERNS. 



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Fig. 2&.— Marat (ia 

 Kaulfussii. 



Lower Bagshot, Alum Bay. 



This species appears to have been closely allied to the existing Marattia Kanlfussii, 

 J. Smith ; and its fronds were probably, as in the recent species, tri-quadripinnatifid, and 

 of large size. Although the pinnules figured are fragmentary and 

 mostly detached, this condition appears to have resulted mainly from 

 the accidents of collection. The pinnules are lanceolate and profoundly 

 pinnatifid. The segments are obliquely lanceolate, largest on the upper 

 side next the rachis, and with acuminated apex ; toothed towards the 

 base of the pinnules, becoming simple and finally confluent at their apex. 

 The rachis is slender and very distinctly winged. The texture seems 

 to have been herbaceous to membranaceous. The primary veins of the 

 segments are sharply defined and distinct to the apex, but the secon- 

 dary veins are very indistinct, and only traceable on one specimen 

 (figs. 4 and 4 a), in which they seem to be few, simple, slightly curved, 

 forming an obtuse angle with the mid-rib, and terminating in the 

 marginal teeth; and on another (fig. 6, 6 a), from apparently a basal 

 pinnule, in which they are seen to be more complex. In the existing 

 species the synangia are situated on the secondary veins of the seg- 

 ments, not easily removed, and leave behind them the basal part of the short stalk 

 by which they are attached. No trace of even this attachment, however, is discernible 

 in the fossils, except in one instance where there is an appearance of the synangia themselves 

 being preserved (fig. 6). The fragment, barely two centimetres in length (PI. XII, 

 fig. 7), presents greater decurrence in the segments, and might on this account have 

 been considered separate, but that this character is seen to an even greater extent in the 

 ends of the pinnules of M. Kaulfussii. 



Marattia Kaulfussii is the only species belonging to the group Eupodium, separated 

 on account of its short-stalked synangia without an involucre. Its fronds measure 

 three to four feet in length. It inhabits the West Indies and Columbia to Ecuador and 

 Hio Janeiro. M. Hookeri is distinguishable by its more elegant and slender pinnules, 

 the more sharply lanceolate and less deeply toothed segments, and less amply winged 

 rachis, resembling in these respects, very closely, the young fronds of the existing species 

 with which it is compared. 



No fossil Fern distinctly belonging to Marattia had previously been described. 



M. Hookeri seeing not to have been rare at Alum Bay, but it had been overlooked in 

 collections owing to its superficial resemblance to Conifers with which it had been found 

 associated. There is now but little hope that better specimens will be obtained from the 

 locality. 



FiLICES INCERT^ SEDIS. 



I. The specimen figured in PI. II, fig. 6, presents no sufficient characters for 



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