79 
A fossil Sporogonium from the Lower 
Devonian of Röragen in Norway. 
By T. G. Halle. 
The plant-bearing deposits of Lower Devonian age 
at Röragen in the neighbourhood of Röros. which were 
discovered in 1913 by Prof. A . M. Goldschmidt of 
Kristiania, have afforded a welcome addition to our 
scant knowlédge of the oldest land flora. *) One of the 
Röragen fossils in particular appears to be of a gene- 
ral botanical interest, and a preliminary account of its 
chief characters may therefore be welcome. This form, 
which is represented by several specimens collected by 
the writer in 1914. may shortly be characterized as a 
large sporogonium. It lias been found necessary to in- 
stitute for its reception a new genus and species of 
which a diagnose will here be given. 
Sporogonites exuberans nov. gen. et sp. 
Spore-producing body consisting of a stalk at least 
50 mm. long and an obovate capsule measuring 6 — 9 
X 3 — 4 mm. Capsule with probably six larger longitu- 
dinal furrows alternating with an equal number of 
smaller ones. The lower part of the capsule sterile 
throughout, the upper part consisting of three different 
zones: a wail of several layers of cells, a thick sporo- 
genous tract, and a sterile central columella. Sporoge- 
nous tract forming a complete dome covering the top 
of the columella. Spores globular, of the tetrahedal 
type. 0 . 020 — 0.025 mm. in diameter, with a cutinised wall 
showing a fine dotted sculpture. 
1 V. M. Goldschmidt: Das Devongebiet am Röragen bei Röros. 
Mit einem paläobotanischen Beitrag: Die Pflanzenreste der Röra- 
gen-Ablagerung von A. G. Nathorst. Vidensk. Selsk. Skr. I. 
Mat.-Xaturv. Kl. X:o 9. Kristiania 1913, 
Bot. Not. 1910. 
