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Genus Cladophlebis Brongniart
Cladophlebis australis (Morr.) (Text-fig. 2, Figs. 1-4.)
1845. Pecopteris australis Morris, in Strzelecki, Phys. Desci. N. S. Wales: 248, Pl. VII, Figs. 1, 2.
1917. Cladophlebis austrahs Arber, N.Z. Geol. Surv. Pal. Bull. 6: 29. Pl. IV, Figs. 1. 5, 7, 8; Pl. XIV (with full synonomy).
1919. C. ausiralis Walkom, Queensland Geol. Surv. Publ. 263: 13, Pl. 3, Figs. 6, 7. Dimensions. See Table II.
| Table II.-Dimensions of New Zealand Cladophlebis. | ||
| Length of Pinnules | Width of Pinnules | |
| Average angle of divergence | Average angle of divergence of | Number of Secondaries per cm at |
| Locality and No. | Cm | cm |
| of Pinnules | Secondaries | margin. |
| Cladophlebis australis | ||
| Waikato Heads B77/2 | 1.7-3.3 | 0.7 |
| 70° | 57° | 16-18 |
| Strongman Mine B52/1 | 1.6-1.9 | 0.8 |
| 63° | 67.6° | 12-14 |
| Pakawau B161/6 | 1.7-1.9 | 0.6-0.7 |
| 74° | 53° | 14 |
| Quail Flat—B166/68 | 0.7-1.1 | 0.4 |
| 67.5° | — | — |
| B125/33 | 1.7-1.8 | |
| 0.35-0.4 | 75.5° | — |
| — | ||
| B166/69 | 1.0-1.4 | |
| 0.4-0.5 | 58.5° | — |
| — | ||
| B166/67 | 0.9-1.2 | |
| 0.4-0.5 | 60.5° | — |
| — | ||
| B166/65A | 1.2 | |
| 0.4 | 62.5° | — |
| — | ||
| 1.1 | 0.35 | |
| 58.2° | — | — |
| Mikonui Stream—B530/1 | >1.2 | 0.5 |
| 56° | 59° | 20 |
| B530/4 | 1.1 | |
| 0.35 | — | 55° |
| — | ||
| B530/2 | >0.9 | |
| 0.5 | 62° | 63° |
| 20 | ||
| B530/5 | — | |
| — | 68° | 61° |
| — | ||
| B530/7 | 1.1 | |
| 0.4 | 60° | 49° |
| — | ||
| Cladophlebis obscura | ||
| Pakawau B161/7 | 2.5-3.0 | 0.5-0.6 |
| 85° | 56° | 14 |
| Cladophlebis prisca | ||
| Pakawau B161/10 | 2.5 | 0.6-0.7 |
| 67° | 43° | 14-16 |
Localities. Waikato Heads B65/2; Pakawau B161/6; Strongman Mme (Rewanui Formation) B52/1; Quail Flat B166/30; Mikonui Stream B530/7.
Age. Rhaetian to Upper Senonian in New Zealand.
Cladophlebis australis was originally described from New South Wales, and is a widely distributed Southern Hemisphere fern, known from South Africa, Patagonia, Australia and Antarctica (Arber, 1917: 30, 31).
The pinnules are all more or less falcate, with entire margins. There are certain differences in the mode of attachment of pinnules to the rachis. In the Rhaetian specimen of Cladophlebis australis from Owaka Creek (Arber, Pl. IV, Fig. 5) the pinnules are fused basally producing a wing along the rachis. In one specimen from the Neocomian of Waikato Heads (B77/2) the pinnules are free to their junction with the rachis, but in another specimen (Arber's Pl. V, Fig. 8) they are winged. The specimens figured by Walkom (loc. cit.) from Burrum (Aptian or Albian) have similar wings. The specimens from the Paparoa Coal Measures all have winged bases, but those from Pakawau have the pinnules free basally. Those from Quail Flat and Mikonui Stream are distinguished by their small size and often have straight midribs in their pinnules.
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Text-Fig. 3—Figs. 1-3—Sphenopteris mackay [ unclear: ] n. sp. Quarl Flat, [ unclear: ] Turonian Holotype B166/70 (1) and paratypes (B166/29 and B166/34). Figs. 4-7—Taeniopte [ unclear: ] s Stipulata Hector. 4. B161/24 Pakawau, lectotype, Upper Senoman; [ unclear: ] B160/105 Shag Point, Upper Senoman; 6 B161/30 Pakawau: 7, B358/8 Quail Flat, ? Turonian. Figs. 8 9—Ptilophllum seymouricum n. sp. Seymoui River.? Turonian. Holotype B356/30 (8) and paratype B356/4. Fig. 10—Pterophullum d [ unclear: ] e [ unclear: ] n. sp. B106/60 Quail Flat,? Turonian, holotype. Fig. 11—Zamites [ unclear: ] tak [ unclear: ] raensts Walkom. B470/1 Coverham, Albian.
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Cladophlebis prisca Ettingshausen.
1887. Blechnum priscum Ettingshausen, Denkschi. k. Akad. Wissen Wien (Math-Nat.Cl) 53 (1): 143.
1890. ——Ettingshausen. Tians. N.Z. Inst. 23: 50, Pl. XXX, Figs. 1, la.
1917. Cladophlebis austialis Arber, N.Z. Geol. Surv. Pal. Bull. 6, Pl. 4, Fig. 1; Pl. XIV.
Type. In the Canterbury Museum, according to Ettingshausen (1890), but not located at the time of writing.
Locality. Pakawau B161/10. Arber (1917, Pl. XIV) figured a specimen of Cladophlebis prisca as C. australis on a slab with angiosperm leaves, reputedly from Waikato Heads (Neocomian) but actually from Pakawau (McQueen 1955).
Age. Upper Senonian.
As Ettingshausen's species is completely sterile, it is better classed under Clodophlebis. It is characterised by the dilated bases of the pinnules and by the secondary veins diverging more acutely than those of C. australis (see Table III).
Cladophlebis obscura (Ettingshausen) (Text-Fig. 2, Fig. 6.)
1887. Gleichenia obscuia Ettingshausen, Denkschi. k. Akad. Wissen Wien (Math-Nat. Cl) 53: 143.
1890. Gleichenia obsura Ettingshausen, Trans. N. Z. Inst. 23. 52, Pl. XXX. Figs. 7, 7a: Locality. Pakawau, B161/7.
Age. Upper Senonian.
Ettmgshausen's type from Pakawau should be m Canterbury Museum, but has not been recognised there. The Pakawau specimen figured here agrees with Ettingshausen's figure of Gleichenia obscura in its pinnae, which diverge at a wide angle, but differs somewhat in venation.
Cladophlebis wellmanii n.sp. (Text-fig. 2, Fig. 5.)
Description. Rachis striate. Fronds pinnate. Pinnae widely set, each attached by the whole base, parallel sided, tapering in last quarter. Margins finely serrate. Midrib with a median groove; secondary veins curving away from midrib, dichotomising once basally and once medially.
Dimensions. Width of midrib, 1.5 mm; length of pinna, 4.5 cm; width of pinnae, 1.4 cm; secondaries 20 per cm at margin (holotype). An incomplete paratype (B 428/2) has pinnae 16 mm wide and secondaries 14 per cm at margin.
Locality. Rewanui Formation, Paparoa Coal Measures, Strongman Mine, B428/23 (holotype) and B428/2.
Agf. Lower Senonian.
The pinnae resemble those of Blechnum in form. They are the same size as those of B. procerum (Forst. f.) Labill but differ in the attachment to the rachis. As no fertile fronds are known, the new species has been placed in Cladophlebis. C. wellmann is quite distinct from C. australis and similar species.