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Volume 82, 1954-55
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Fernlike Foliage

Genus. Cladophlebis Brongniart, 1849

Cladophlebis roylei Arber, 1901. Fig. 2.

1901. C. roylei Arber. Geol. Mag. dec. iv vol. VII, p. 548.

1922. C. roylei Walkom. Queensland Geol. Surv. Publ. 270. p. 8, pl. 5, figs. 24, 24a, 25. (For full synonymy see Arber, 1905 p. 142.)

B192/1: Portion of an apparently lanceolate pinna, Rachis 0.5 mm. wide. Pinnules alternate, closely set, attached at base for whole width. Each pinnule oblong, ovate towards its apex, margins entire. Lower pinnules upcurved towards apices, 7 mm. long, 3 mm. wide at attachment to rachis of pinna. Upper pinnules 4 mm. long, 2.5 mm. wide at bases. Venation: Midribs of pinnules leaving rachis of pinna at 45°–60°, running straight for seven-eighths of length then dichotomising once. Secondaries arising at 30°-40° and dichotomising once distally.

The specimens agree in detail with Walkom's drawing (loc. cit.). However, Arber (1905) from a specimen from the Raniganj Group, India, shows the midribs of large pinnules (1.5 mm. long) as slightly sinuate. This may be characteristic of larger pinnules than the Queensland specimens figured by Walkom and the N.Z. specimens here described.

Genus Sphenopteris Brogniart, 1822

Sphinoteris cf. lobifolia Morris. Figs. 3 and 4.

1905. S. lobifolia Arber, The Glossopteris Flora p. 135, Pl. V, figs. 2–3 (with synonymy).

1922. S. lobifolia Walkom. Queensland Geol. Surv. Publ. 270, p. 9, Pl. 6, figs. 33, 33a. Pl. 9, figs. 49, 49a (with synonymy). (Fuller synonymy in Arber, 1905.)

B192/37, (Fig. 4) : Portion of a bipinnate frond, pinnae elongate, narrowed at base. Rachis winged, with midrib 0.5 mm. wide. Raches of pinnae 0.2 mm wide, with wings joining wings of main rachis and the laminae of pinnules. Pinnules joined for entire base, 2 mm. wide and 3 mm long, oblong, with rounded apices and entire margins. Venation: Sinuate midribs of pinnules leaving raches at 30°. Secondaries dichotomising at about half way to margin.

Another specimen B192/18 (Fig. 3) is the apex of a frond or pinna, simply pinnate, with the pinnae contracted at their bases and with lobed margins, more deeply divided nearer the bases than at the apices.

The incomplete fronds are most like Sphenopteris lobifolia as illustrated by Walkom (loc. cit.). His figures do not allow close comparison with details of the rachis. Comparison of the specimens described in the present paper with those of Arber (1905) is not so confident, as his detailed illustration of Sphenopteris lobifolia (Pl. V, Fig. 2, 2a) shows different forms of pinnules together on the same rachis.

Sphenopteris sp. Fig. 5.

B192/66, /68: Apices of pinnate fronds with subopposite narrow cuneate pinnae with entire margins, except for splits at apices of some pinnae Venation obscure, slightly raised veins dichotomising twice in each pinnule.

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Retouched photographs of Permian plant fossils from Gore Subdivision.
Fig. 1.—Equisetites sp. × 2. Fig. 2.—Cladophlebis roylei Arber × 3. Figs. 3. 4.—Sphenopteris cf. lobifolia Morris × 3. Fig. 5.—Sphenopteris sp. × 6. Figs. 6, 7.—F. Neuopteridae × 6. Fig. 8.—cf. Linguifolunm × 6. Fig. 9.—Noeggerthropsis hislopu (Bunbury) × 4.