DE. HEEE ON THE FOSSIL PLOEA OF BOVEY TEACEY. 
1049 
opinion upon. Beside the pinnules of the leaves, we often find at Bovey circinate young 
shoots of ferns (Plate LVI. figs. 9, 10 8c 11), which probably belong to the species in 
question, as being the commonest one. 
Professor Giebel, who first established this species, has given it four names: his 
Pecopteris leucopetrce represents the apex of the leaf, P. angusta a portion of the 
pinnule a little below the apex, where the tertiary nerves spring at acute angles, and 
P, lignitum and P. crassinervis the broader lower part of the pinnule, 
Ludwig has confounded this species with Aspidium Meyeri, Heer. The portion of a 
leaf from Miinzenberg, figured by him in pi, 12. fig, 3 of the ‘ Palaeontographica,’ 
entirely differs from A. Meyeri, in the shallower incision and different nervation. It 
belongs to P. lignitum. It seems to me that the portion of a leaf figured by him in 
pi. 10. fig. 2, belongs to another species. 
I have formerly assigned this fern to the genus Aspidium, because the secondary 
nerves are usually forked, and the tertiary nerves often jointed like Goniopteris; but 
a close examination of the numerous and well-preserved fragments from Bovey has con- 
vinced me that they do not belong to Aspidium. The pinnules had a hard, nearly 
leathery structure ; and the peculiarly curved lower tertiary nerves, which run in large 
arches, differ from Aspidium, and very much remind one of Hemitelia. The tertiary 
nerves of the Hemitelias are most of them jointed by small nervules; but still there 
are species in which this is not the case (ex. gr. H. integrifolia and H. speciosa), and in 
H. Karsteniana (cf. Mettenius, leones Filicum, pi. 29. fig. 2) there is a variety the nerva- 
tion of which has more likeness to that of Pecopteris lignitum than to any other species 
of fern known to me ; therefore the species in question probably belongs to the genus 
Hemitelia. It may, however, be better in the meanwhile to preserve the name Peco- 
pteris till the fruits are found, which certainly will be soon, this species being so common 
at Bovey. I have, however, sought in vain for sori amongst many hundreds of pinnules. 
Sometimes little round spots are seen which look like sori (Plate LV. fig. 4 d) ; but a 
careful examination shows that they are accidental markings, some of them upon the 
tertiary nerves, and others beside them. 
In the 25th bed at Bovey (rarely in the 17th) we often find large rhizomes quite 
covered with petioles, which, I suppose, for the following reasons, to belong to Pecopteris 
lignitum. 
1. In several pieces, I found between the petioles the pinnules oi Pecopteris lignitum, 
though not attached. 
2. In the lignites of Salzhausen quite similar rhizomes are found with pinnules of 
Pecopteris lignitum (cf. Ludwig, in the ‘ Paleontographica,’ viii. p. 64, pi. 10. fig, 3); 
therefore Ludwig has compared it with this species (his Aspidium Meyeri). 
3. The petioles are striated in the same manner as the petioles which are so often 
lying between the pinnules of Pecopteris lignitum, and which undoubtedly belong to 
one plant, as in some cases I saw them attached (Plate LV. fig. 4). 
4. The rhizomes and the petioles are mostly curved towards one side ; therefore the 
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