Fig. 356.
- A–D. Thinnfeldia odontopteroides (Morris).
- E. Ptilozamites. (E, after Nathorst.)
The name Thinnfeldia lancifolia has been applied by Morris to fossils from Australia which may be identified with T. odontopteroides, and the same designation is employed by Szajnocha and by Solms-Laubach[1437] for Rhaetic specimens from South America. Similar fronds are described by Geinitz[1438] as Thinnfeldia tenuinervis from Argentine Rhaetic strata. Odontopteris macrophylla Curran, T. falcata Ten.-Woods, Gleichenia lineata Ten.-Woods, and Cardiopteris Zuberi Szaj. afford other examples of what are probably closely allied forms[1439].
Fig. 357. Thinnfeldia odontopteroides (Morris). ⅘ nat. size.
Some exceptionally large examples of T. odontopteroides are figured by Feistmantel[1440] from the Hawkesbury series of New South Wales in which the bipinnate frond has a breadth of 25–30 cm. A specimen from the Molteno beds of South Africa, probably of Rhaetic age, represented in [fig. 357], illustrates a smaller leaf with pinnules of the linear type, some of which are partially divided into shorter pinnules with forked veins. The example represented in [fig. 358], from Cyphergat (S. Africa), shows two equal branches of a rachis with small contiguous segments.
Fig. 358. Thinnfeldia odontopteroides. From a specimen in the British Museum (v. 2490). 1½ nat. size.
Some specimens figured by Zeiller[1441] from the Rhaetic strata of Tonkin as Pecopteris (Bernouillia?) sp. may be portions of Thinnfeldia fronds, and the large leaves which he refers to Ctenopteris Sarreni differ but slightly from the Australian specimens described by Feistmantel as T. odontopteroides.