82 
T. G. HALLE, 
(Schwed. Südpolar-Exp. 
Genus Elatocladus nov. gen. 
The difficulty of finding, in many cases, a suitable generic designation for sterile 
coniferous branches has been the reason for creating here a new generic name, Elato- 
cladits." There exist already a number of genera of fossil conifers which are founded 
on sterile shoots and of which the cones are either unknown or else do not present 
any sufficiently distinct characters on which to base a classification, whereas the 
sterile shoots show some more or less marked peculiarity. Such genera are for in- 
stance Pinites, Pagiophylluni etc. Many genera, however, are distinguished by their 
cones, the characters of the sterile shoots, which are usually more or less similar 
even in one of these genera, being only of secondary importance. Sterile specimens,, 
which show no sufficiently marked features to be attributed to a genus of the first 
group, i. e. one established on the vegetative characters, are now usually referred to 
one of the genera which are characterized by their cones and which are often brought 
into comparison with recent forms. Different genera of this group — though, being 
founded on the fructifications, they are more natural than the others — may have, and 
in many cases do have, vegetative shoots of the same type, though they are other- 
wise quite distinct. It must therefore often be a matter of arbitrary choice to which 
genus a certain sterile specimen should be referred: it may be possible, for example, 
to chose between Palissya^ Stachyotaxus, Taxites and yet other very different genera. 
The questions are often decided differently by different writers; and it is this un- 
certainty more than anything else which has caused the present state of intoler- 
able confusion in the classification of the conifers. The only way out appears to be 
to distinguish more sharply between the genera characterized by their fructifications 
and those founded simply on the vegetative characters. The majority of fossil species 
of the Coniferæ are known only in the sterile state; and these should not be pressed 
into any genus of which one of the characters is from the structure of the fructi- 
fication. This course has been advocated before, especially by Professor Nathorst 
in regard to the numerous sterile forms referred to Palissya (1908). The opposite 
principle, however, is only too often followed, probably largely because of the diffi- 
culty of finding a genus to which a sterile species may be referred. The genera 
founded on purely vegetative characters are rather few and were instituted only for 
the reception of the more peculiar forms. The vegetative system of the Coniferæ 
does not display any great variation of forms and there are especially two types 
which recur in many different groups, viz. radially built shoots with the leaves dis- 
^ The name has been proposed by Prof. C. A. M. Lindman. It is derived from elate — spruce, and 
dados — shoot. 
