Tœniopteris (wreathed fern). [Lign. 26.]—Leaves simple, entire, straight, with parallel margins, traversed by a strong midrib, which extends to the apex; secondary veins, simple or bifurcated at their base, and almost perpendicular to the median vein. These ferns are related to certain species of Polypodium. Three species are known; two from the Oolite, and one from a tertiary deposit. The specimen figured is a fragment.
Lign. 26. Tœniopteris latifolia; fragment of a frond; nat.
Stonesfield Slate.
Lign. 27.
| Fig. | 1.— | Pecopteris Murrayana; a pinnule with the fructification; magnified. Inf. Oolite, Scarborough. |
| 2.— | Pecopteris lonchitica. Coal-shale, France. |
Pecopteris (embroidered fern). [Lign. 27.]—Leaves once, twice, or thrice pinnated: leaflets adhering by their whole base to the rachis, rarely by the centre only; traversed by a strong midrib, which extends to the apex; veins simple, or once or twice dichotomous, proceeding almost at right angles from the median vein.
This genus embraces a very large proportion of the ferns which have contributed to the formation of the coal, and whose leaves and stems are preserved in the associated strata. The originals of many species were undoubtedly arborescent, and attained a large size; some leaves four feet wide, and of a proportionate length, have been observed. More than one hundred species are determined. An American species (Pecopteris Sillimani) is figured in illustration of certain botanical terms, [Lign. 16], ante, [p. 110]. Several species of Pecopteris occur in the fluvio-marine oolitic deposits near Scarborough, and leaves in fructification are not uncommon: [fig. 1, Lign. 27], represents a leaflet slightly magnified.