DE. HEEE ON THE EOSSIL ELOEA OE BOYET TEACEY. 
1057 
striated plane surface, which is provided with minute warts (Plates LXII. fig. 7, and 
LV. figs. 11 & 12). They are broader at the base. The form of these prickles, their 
position (mostly three together, and the median of them the longest), and their direc- 
tion (all are directed forwards and pressed against the surface) agree so well with the 
organs represented by Ujstgee from Laubach in the Wetterau, and by Ludwig from 
Salzhausen and Hessenbrucken, that we may be persuaded of their belonging to the 
same plant. Ungee compares these prickles with those which appear on the spatha of 
DcBmonorops. We have indeed in D. jpolyacantlia^ Martins (Palmse, pi. 160), and D. 
melanochcetes, Blume (Martins, pis. 117 & 125), very similar fiat prickles, which are 
broader at the base. There are often three together, the median one of which is also 
the longest. As at Bovey, these bundles of prickles are often fastened on a flat, spread- 
ing, finely striated organ, which is several millims. in thickness, which may be easily 
taken for a spatha. But it is quite unsuitable to found the name of the genus upon 
this spatha, and to describe this plant as Palceospathe, for we find the same prickles 
also attached to the stems. I have found at Bovey, in the 26th bed, the stem of a 
palm, on which such a bundle of prickles was attached. Unhappily it was ruined on 
the journey. On the contrary, several of these stems, which I collected in the same 
layer containing the prickles, have remained entire. Some of them are represented in 
Plate LV. figs. 7—10. They are from 15 to 17 millims. in thickness, and consist of a 
bundle of fibres which are converted into coal, and appear like brilliant coal-black 
threads. Each fibre (or bundle of vessels) is flat on the inner side, which is turned 
towards the centre of the stem, or furrowed longitudinally ; on the outer side it is con- 
vex ; it represents, therefore, on a transverse section, more or less, a half circle or a 
crescent. These fibres are in some pieces close together, and in others further apart ; 
the latter are probably from the middle, and the former from the periphery of the stem. 
Some of the fibres attain a thickness of 1 millim., but many are much thinner. In many 
pieces these bundles of vessels form a stem (cf. figs. 8 & 9). Sometimes they are free, 
and appear like long black fibres scattered in the clay ; or beside the united ones we 
see numerous scattered bundles (cf Plate LV. figs. 7 & 10). These organs very much 
resemble the bundles of vessels which appear in the lignite of Kapfnach [Palmacites 
helveticus. Flora Tertiaria Helvetise, p. 94, pi. 40. fig. 1); but such thick pieces have not 
hitherto been found at Bovey. The stems were thin, and probably the petioles may 
have been so too. The construction of the bundles of vessels shows mdeed that they 
belonged to a monocotyledonous plant, and confirms the conclusion derived from the 
prickles attached to the spatha. 
I found at the same place several fragments of leaves (Plate LXVIII. fig. 1) which 
certainly belong to a monocotyledonous plant, and perhaps, therefore, to the species in 
question. They are broad portions of leaves, with numerous fine longitudinal parallel 
striae of equal strength ; nine of them occupy 1 millim. They are therefore very close. 
Mr. Pengelly found a fruit at Bovey* which probably belongs to the plant in ques- 
* I liave seen only a drawing of this. 
7e2 
