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I.—Notes On Fossil Plants From South Africa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 May 2009

Extract

The specimen represented in Fig. 1 was found by Mr. J. A. Whaits at Prince Albert in shale lying between the Witteberg Series and the Dwyka conglomerate: it consists of a single whorl of leaves of which the longest has a length of 4–5 cm. and a breadth of 3 mm. The linear segments converge towards a narrow axis about 5mm. in diameter; they show faint indications of a midrib and have acuminate apices.

In spite of the fact that Fig. 1 represents the only example so far discovered I propose, for the sake of convenience, to describe it under a new name, thus placing on record Mr. Whaits's contribution to our knowledge of a flora the discovery of additional records of which would be of exceptional interest. It must, however, be admitted that the specimen for which the generictitle Phyllotheca is chosen hardly affords satisfactory evidence as to its affinity.

The material on which this species is founded was obtained from the Uitenhage Series at Herbertsdale in Cape Colony and presented to the South African Museum by Mr. Kolbe. It consists of several pieces of what appears to have been a large stem rèaching a length of about 90 cm. The outline drawing reproduced in Fig. 2 from a photograph sent to me from the Museum by Miss Wilman shows the curious shape of the fossil, tapering to a blunt point at one end and flatter and broader at the other; Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate the surface features as seen on portions of the weathered stem.

Type
Original Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1907

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References

page 481 note 1 For an account of the Uitenhage flora see Annals South African Museum, vol. iv, 1903.

page 482 note 1 Carruthers, : Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc, vol. xxvi (1870), p. 349, pi. xxir.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

page 482 note 2 The first part of this work was published a few months ago by the RoyalSociety of Edinburgh in vol. xlv of the Transactions.

page 482 note 3 Seward, & Ford: Trans. Linn. Soc, 1904, p. 173.Google Scholar

page 483 note 1 Ibid., p. 253.

page 483 note 2 Raciborski, , “Flora Ivopalna”: Pamietnika Akad.Umiejetnosei, 1894.Google Scholar

page 483 note 3 Trans. Roy. Soc. Edinburgh, vol. xlv, pt. 3 (1907), p. 760.

page 483 note 4 Tate, : Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc, vol. xxiii (1867), p. 141, pi. v, fig. 8.Google Scholar

page 483 note 5 Catalogue of the Fossil Plants of the Glossopteris Flora, 1905, p. 54.

page 484 note 1 Arkiv för Botanik (K., Svensk. Vetenskaps Akad. Stockholm), vol. vii, No. 4, 1907; also Geol. Fbren. Forhaudl., vol. xxix, Häft 4 (1907), p. 221.Google Scholar

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page 486 note 3 Fossil Botany, 1891, p. 200.

page 486 note 4 Dawson, : Geol. Surv. Canada, 1871, pi. viii.Google Scholar

page 486 note 5 M'Coy, : Prod. Pal. Victoria, dec. i, 1874.Google Scholar

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page 486 note 8 Krasser, : Denksch k. Akad. Wiss. Wien, Bd. lxx (1900), pi. ii, fig. 1.Google Scholar

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page 486 note 12 David & Pittman; ibid., vol. iii, pt. 4.