Scientia Sinica

138 SCIENTIA SINICA Vol, V

mirable, Sphenopteris taihuensis, Sphenophyllum pseudotenerrimum, Sphenophyllum lungtanense, etc. The composition of the flora is quite different from that of the Archaeopteris-Cyclostigma flora of the Etroeungtian of Europe. The assignment of such forms of the Wutung Series to a formation older than the Lower Carboniferous is indeed impossible. Prof. Jongmans”” expressed his view that these forms might possibly belong to the Lowermost Namurian. He says for instance (1942, p. 35): “Eine weitere altkarbonische Flora beschrieb Sze, welche wohl zum tiefsten Namur gehort.” It seems to have escaped his notice that the Wutung Series of Eastern China is overlain by the Tournaisian Kinling Limestone and the uppermost Tournaisian Kaolishan Series which, in turn, is overlain by the Hochow Limestone of the Viséan age”, One of the most impressive fossil plants discovered from the Wutung Series in recent years is a typical Lepidodendropsis preserved often on the same slabs with the Devonian fishes in the Lungt’an area. A best preserved specimen was figured by me"! in another paper published in the summer of 1954 (Sze 1954, pl. 1, figs. 21, 21a) dealing with the age of the basal part of the Wutung Series. I have already pointed out"! that this specimen is identical almost in all respects with the genotype Lepidodendropsis hirmeri, originally described by Lutz'™! in 1933 from the Lower Carboniferous of Geigen, near Hof, Bavaria, and that it also agrees fairly well with the specimens described by Jongmans!!, Gothan and Darrah as Lepidodendropsis hirmeri from the Lower Carboniferous Pocono Formation of North America. The specimens found from the Wutung Series at Lungt’an may be briefly described below.

“Genus Lepidodendropsis Lutz Lepidodendropsis hirmert Lutz Pl. I, figs. 1-3.

The species is represented by a few stem-fragments. They are covered with cushions very similar to those of Lepidodendropsis. The most typical specimen is figured on Pl. 1, figs. 1, la, lb. The impression of the flattened stem is measured 4 mm in breadth and about 18 cm in length. The cushions are much crowded, narrowly rhombic to fusiform, their prolonged upper and lower portions being little prominent. The length of the whole cushion is about 2-2.5 mm and its maximum breadth about 1 mm. The arrangement of the cushions appears to be verticillate with the members of successive whorls alternating. Judging from the members of cushions exposed on the impressions, each verticil might have probably consisted of 14 or 15 leaves. The margin of the cushions being contiguous, only a very narrow part of the surface of of the stem is exposed between them. At its apex and base each cushion passes gradually into the opposed cushion in the second verticil above and