I.—Notes On Fossil Plants From South Africa

Abstract

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.