On the Clarke Collection of Fossil Plants from New South Wales

Abstract

T~. earliest scientific descriptions of fossil plants, from the rocks of New South Wales, are those by Brongniart of the genera Glossopteri8 and Phyllotheca, published in his ' ProdrSme' 1 in 1828. In his ~Hist~)ire, '2 published in the same year, figures and specific descriptions of these, and other genera, are to be found. It was not, however, until some years late~ that the first systematic collections of fossil plant-remains from this region were begun by the Rev. W. B. Clarke, Count Strzelecki, and by Dana. In 1845 Morris 3 published an account of Strzelecki's collection; and two years later McCoy 4 examined the Clarke Collection, made between 1839 and 1844, which he described in a paper in the Annals & Magazine of Natural History, in 1847. Dana's ~ specimens were described in 1849. The Clarke Collection, numbering nearly 2600 specimens of all kinds, including some 80 fossil plantremains, was, by the great generosity of its owner, presented to the Woodwardiau l-~r Cambridge, in November 1844. 8 As already stated, the more important paleeobotanical specimens in this collection were described by :McCoy in 1847, twelve being regarded as new types. It has been thought, however, that a reexamination of this early collection, in the light of the recent advancement of our knowledge with regard to the structure and I Brongniart (28) t. The numbers in parentheses after the authors' names indicate the year of publication of the work, to which reference will be found in the bibliography at the end of this paper, p. 25. 2 Brongniart (28) 2. 8 ]YIorris (45). 9 ~IcCoy (47). 6 Dana (49). 6 Clarke (78) pp. 118 & 151. Q. J. G. S. lqo. 229. B 2-~R. NEWELL ARBER ON THE CLARKE COLLECTION [Feb. ~ 9o2, affinities of fossil plants from Australia, India, South Africa, and elsewhere, might not be without value, especially as the more modern memoirs on the fossil flora of Australia, by Feistnnantel ~ and Tenison-Woods, 2 contain in several instances only the original descriptions of McCoy, without amplification. 3 The exact geological age of the beds, from which these plants were obtained, has long been disputed. We may, however, first examine the plants forming the collection, reserving for the moment the evidence which they afford of geological age. The collection may be conveniently arranged in stratigraphical order, beginning with the Wianamatta Series, followed by the Newcastle Beds, and finally the plants from Arowa. A. Wianamatta Beds.

Anatomically Preserved Glossopteris Stems with Attached Leaves from the Central Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica

“…Glossopteris leaves were first thought to be attached to Vertebraria axes on the basis oftwo specimens that showed a leaf with its petiole adjacent to a transverse ridge, presumably a node, on a Vertebra ria axis (Zeiller, 1896). Additional specimens were described by Oldham (1897), Arber (1902), and Dolianiti (1954) as attached to Vertebraria on the basis of shallow, discontinuous longitudinal wrinkles and deeper grooves that anastomose at the node to form narrow elongate rectangular areas, or transverse septa. Generally these putative attachments of Glossopteris leaves to Vertebraria axes have been discounted by most authors (Walton and Wilson, 1932;Thomas, 1952;Pant and Singh, 1974).…”

Studies in the Glossopteris flora of India - 11. Some observations on Vertebraria from the Lower Gondwana of India

“…Zeiller (1896) was first to suggest this, then Oldham (1897) independently discovered a connection between Vertebraria indica and Glossopteris. Arber (1902) also noted con tinuity between Glossopteris and Vertebral'ia in a specimen from the Clarke collection. In 1910 Seward described G, browniana leaves attached to an axis of doubtful nature.…”

Studies in the Glossopteris Flora of India - 22. On some species of the genus glossopteris from the Raniganj stage of the Raniganj Coalfield, Bengal

“…. Arber (1902), on the basis of a specimen from the New Castle series of New South Wales, regarded Glossopteris taeniopteroides to be a smaller frond of G. ampla Dana, but later (1905) agreeing with Zeiller's (1902) view, he included G. taeniopteroides in G.…”