. The geological history of plants [microform]. Paleobotany; Paléobotanique. THE CARBONIFEROUS FLORA. 119 relation to our modern equisetnms, or mare's-tails, but, as in other cases wo have met with, are of gigantic size and comparatively complex structure. Their stems, in cross-section, show radi- ating bundles of fibres, like those of exogenous woods, yet the whole plan of structure presents some curious resemblances to the stems of their hum- ble successors, the mod- ern mare's-tails. It would seem, from the manner in which dense brakes of these Calamitcs have been preserved in tlie coal-for
. The geological history of plants [microform]. Paleobotany; Paléobotanique. THE CARBONIFEROUS FLORA. 119 relation to our modern equisetnms, or mare's-tails, but, as in other cases wo have met with, are of gigantic size and comparatively complex structure. Their stems, in cross-section, show radi- ating bundles of fibres, like those of exogenous woods, yet the whole plan of structure presents some curious resemblances to the stems of their hum- ble successors, the mod- ern mare's-tails. It would seem, from the manner in which dense brakes of these Calamitcs have been preserved in tlie coal-for- mation of Nova Scotia, that they spread over low and occasionally inun- dated flats, and formed fringes on the seaward sides of the great Sigilla- ria forests. In this way they no doubt contrib- uted to prevent the invasion of the areas of coal ac- cumulation by the muddy waters of inundations, and thus, though they may not have furnished much of the material of coal, they no doubt contributed to its ])urity. Many beautiful plants of the genera AsterophylUtes and Annularia are supposed to havo beeii allied to the '^.ah- mitea, or to have connected t! wiih tlio Rhizoar'ps. The stems and fruit of these plants have strong points of resemblance to those of SphenopJit/Ihtrn, and the leaves are broad, and not narrow and angular like those of the true Calamitcs (Fig. 45). No one has done more than my friend Dr. William-. Fio. 42.—Erect Siiiillaria, ptai:din,gf on a coal-soam (S. Jogj^ang^ Novu Scotia).. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original Dawson, J. W. (John William), Sir, 1820-1899. New York : D. Appleton
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectpaleobo, bookyear1888
