33 
1900. Coniopteris hymenophylloides Seward, Jur. Flora, vol. i, {Brit. Mus. Cat.), p. 99, 
pi. xvi, figs. 4-6; pi. xvii, figs. 3, 6-8; pi. xx, figs. 1, 2; pi. xxi, figs. 1-4. 
1904. Coniopteris hymenophylloides var. australica Seward, Rec. Geol. Surv. Victoria, vol. i, 
pt. 3, p. 163, pi. viii, fig. 6 ; pi. ix, figs. 7, 9 ; pi. x, fig. 8. 
1911. Coniopteris hymenophylloides Thomas, Mem. Com. Geol., St. Petersbourg, N.S. Livr. 71, 
pp. 13, 62, pi. ii, figs. 3-9; pi. viii, figs. 7-10. 
1911. Coniopteris hymenophylloides Seward, ibid., N.S. Livr. 75, pp. 10, 38, pi. i, figs. 11-15; 
pi. vi, figs 67, 68. 
1913. Coniopteris hymenophylloides Halle, Wissen. Ergeb. Schwed. Sitdpolar-Exped., vol. iii 
Lief. 14, p. 19, pi. iii, figs. 23, 24, 21a 2 , 276?, 28-30. 
Diagnosis.— The following diagnosis of this species was given by Seward in 1904 
(see above) : “ Frond tripinnate ; pinnae linear acuminate, attached to the rachis 
at a wide angle ; the pinnules vary considerably in size and shape, in some forms 
they have a few broad and rounded lobes, and in others the lamina is deeply dissected 
into narrow linear segments. The fertile pinnules bear the sori at the end of the 
veins ; the lamina is usually much reduced, and in extreme cases the fertile segments 
agree closely with those of Thyrsopteris elegans Kze., or Dicksonia Bertevana Hook. 
The sori are partly enclosed in a cup-shaped indusium ; the sporangia appear to have 
an oblique annulus of the cyatheaceous type. The two lowest pinnules of the pinna 
are often characterized by their unusual shape, the lower half of each pinnule 
consisting of long spreading and irregular aphlebiaAike lobes. Venation and form of 
the frond of the Sphenopteris type.” 
Description of the Specimens. —Portions of the sterile foliage are seen on Plate II, 
figs. 1-3, and Plate III, fig. 5. These are of quite the normal type, and may be 
very closely compared with specimens of this species from the English Oolite. Some 
partly fertile pinnae are seen on Plate III, fig. 4, natural size, and twice enlarged 
on fig. 3 of the same plate. In the latter photograph, on the left-hand side, dark 
oval bodies can be seen at the terminations of some of the pinnule lobes. These are 
no doubt the sori. The lamina of the pinnules in this specimen is slightly reduced 
as compared with those shown on Plate II, figs. 1-3. 
A somewhat enlarged drawing of another fertile but more reduced pinnule is seen 
on Plate II, fig. 6. 
This species also occurs at Waikawa, where, in addition to fronds with small 
pinnules like those figured above, others of much larger size are also found. One 
of these, in Professor Marshall’s collection at Dunedin, is identical in size with that 
figured from Victoria by Seward(l) in 1904. Part of a fertile pinna also occurs on 
the same specimen, and this is shown by fig. 9. It bears the closest resemblance to 
a similar fossil, also figured by Seward(2) from the Jurassic of Victoria. 
Remarks. —This plant is quite abundant in the Malvern Hill beds. The species 
is a variable one as regards habit, but, so far as I can see, the New Zealand 
specimens are indistinguishable from examples from the Jurassic rocks of Europe and 
Grahamland. The more reduced type of fertile pinnule recalls the specimens from 
the Jurassic of Victoria (Australia) described by Seward(3) as Coniopteris hymeno¬ 
phylloides var. australica. The chief feature of this variety is stated to be as follows : 
“ The fertile pinnae of the European fern are often characterized by a considerable 
reduction in the lamina, but in this respect there is not a little variation ; in the 
Victorian specimens the fertile pinnae are practically identical with the sterile, except 
in the occurrence of sori at the tips of the lobes ”(4). In the New Zealand specimens, 
however, as illustrated here, there appear to be all gradations between sterile pinnules, 
(1) Seward (1904 1 ), pi. x, fig. 8. (3) Seward (1904 1 ), p. 163. figs. 6-9. 
(2) Seward, ibid., pi. ix, fig. 7. (4) Seward, ibid., p. 164 
3—Mes. Floras. 
