Bd. III: 14) 
THE MESOZOIC FLORA. 
89 
Fig. 13, pi. 6, shows a group of the best among a number of fragments, all in 
the same piece of rock. They represent radially built objects with a circular outline 
and consisting of a round central receptacle carrying a varying number of radially 
arranged appendages. From the analogy with other known specimens of Stachyopitys 
it may be concluded that these radially arranged appendages are the pollen-sacs or 
sporangia. The central receptacle would then correspond to the connective, and the 
whole object, with its appendages, to the anther. The pollen-sacs in our specimen 
usually number 10 — 12 round each receptacle. [In the enlarged figure (13 only a few 
of the sacs are shown: they are rather crowded on the impression and partly con- 
ceal each other.] Their shape cannot be very well made out; but they appear to 
be oblanceolate on the impression and are abruptly pointed. Some of them show a 
longitudinal line, probably representing the line of dehiscence. There is seen in the 
figure a slender stalk-like axis, slightly expanded at the basal end. It is probable 
that some, at least, of the discs shown were attached to branches from this stalk, 
but the exact morphological nature of the components is obscure. There is another 
stalk-like impression, not shown in the figure; and it is possible that some of the 
discs belong to that. 
The present plant-remains should undoubtedly be referred to Stachyopitys SCHENK, 
whatever may be the true systematical position of that genus. Our specimens are 
fairly closely comparable with the Rhætic type-species, .S. ScH ENK (/. ^.); but 
the anthers are considerably larger (nearly twice as large) and, as it appears, not so 
densely placed. There is a greater resemblance to 5 . ajimdaroides Shirley, one of 
the two species described from Queensland. With allowance for the fact that the 
mode of branching cannot be made out in the Antarctic specimens, there is hardly 
any difference between them and the Australian ones. It may be that the latter 
generally have a few more pollen-sacs round each receptacle; but this cannot be a 
character of great importance, much less so as it is very difficult to count the pollen- 
sacs in our specimens. It is therefore at least very probable that the Antarctic plant 
is identical with Shirley’s species. 
Schenk (/. c., p. 185) at first regarded his Stachyopitys Preslii as probably be- 
longing to Schizolepis Bratuiii SCHENK. In the “Palæophytologie” he figures specimens 
of the same kind as male strobili of Baiera; and Stachyopitys has of late generally 
been regarded as belonging to some member of the Ginkgoales. Shirley (/. ci) is 
of the same opinion, and says that “occasionally at the base of the peduncle are 
seen bract-like ginkgoid leaflets, in miniature resembling those of G. bidens." In 
regard to the current opinion concerning the nature of Stachyopitys, the occurrence 
of the genus in the Hope Bay flora is remarkable. One of the most striking fea- 
tures of that flora, as displayed in the collection, is the total absence of any mem- 
12 — 122943. Schwedische Südpolar- Exp. igoi — içoj. 
