Telephragmoxylon and the Origin of Wood 
Parenchyma . 1 
BY 
R. E. TORREY. 
With Plate III and three Figures in the Text. 
I N Jeffrey’s ‘Anatomy of Woody Plants’, published in 1917, a theory of 
the origin of wood parenchyma is advanced. From a study of living 
woods, and particularly those of the Coniferae, the author was led to the 
conclusion that this important element originated from the so-called septate 
tracheide and that its first appearance was at the end of the annual ring. 
While the book just mentioned was still in the press an interesting and 
further confirmation of the theory came to light through the discovery of 
a new wood from the Comanchean deposits of Texas. A certain histological 
feature was judged of sufficient importance to justify a new generic name — 
Telephragmoxylon. 
The technical description of the wood, along with many others derived 
from Mesozoic and Tertiary deposits, has been embodied in a memoir which 
will appear later. The reason for taking the genus from its original 
setting for individual treatment may be explained by a quotation from 
a recent letter of Professor Jeffrey’s: 1 It seems to me extremely desirable 
that you should write a special article on Telephragmoxylon. The genus 
is so important and so interesting that it should be brought to attention in 
one of the general journals.’ 
It is commonly known that Texas is well favoured with immense 
deposits of Tertiary lignite which are of considerable economic importance. 
On the other hand, it is probably known only to geologists that in far more 
ancient deposits of the same state, namely, those of the Triassic and Lower 
Cretaceous or Comanchean-, may be found scattered and very local masses 
and fragments of lignitized and partially silicified woods. 
In the fall of 1917, while collecting near Weatherford, Texas, the writer 
came upon fragments of charred and flattened trunks of a wood which seems 
to be new to science and to afford a striking justification of the theory 
1 Contribution from the Laboratories of Plant Morphology of Harvard University. 
[Annals of Botany, Vol. XXXV. No.'cXXXVII. January, 1921.] 
