. The theory of evolution in the light of facts. Fig. 14.—^A restored Lepido-dendron. Fig. 15.—^A reconstructed Cordaite. The flower scapes may be seen on theseparate branches between the leaves. The Gynuiosperms are represented by the Corda-ites (Fig. 15), which soon disappeared; they werelarge trees with sometimes gigantic leaves, which there- 1 Schuppenbäume (lit. scale trees: Lepidodendrse) derive their namefrom the cushion-like elevations (scales) on the bark which bear the scars ofthe fallen leaves. The Sigillaria (lit. seal trees) do not show these cushionsor scales ; the leaf scars lie
. The theory of evolution in the light of facts. Fig. 14.—^A restored Lepido-dendron. Fig. 15.—^A reconstructed Cordaite. The flower scapes may be seen on theseparate branches between the leaves. The Gynuiosperms are represented by the Corda-ites (Fig. 15), which soon disappeared; they werelarge trees with sometimes gigantic leaves, which there- 1 Schuppenbäume (lit. scale trees: Lepidodendrse) derive their namefrom the cushion-like elevations (scales) on the bark which bear the scars ofthe fallen leaves. The Sigillaria (lit. seal trees) do not show these cushionsor scales ; the leaf scars lie flat upon the bark, and are hexagonal. RESULTS OF PALiEONTOLOGICAL EESEARCH 57 fore do not agree at all with the needles and variousfoliage of our Gymnosperms but are rather remindfulof the parallel-veined ones of the Monocotelydons( the Lihacese).. Fig. 16.—Reconstruction of a trunk of Lyginodbn- DRON OlDHAMIANUM, A FERN-LIKE GyMNOSPERM. {After Scott) The three smaller branches seen at the top of thefigure with contracted apparent leaves are regarded asthe inflorescence, with the empty seed-vessels at the endsof the stalks. {After Oliver.) Until recently it was a standing expression in alltext-books that the Palseozoic age, and particularly thatof the Coal period, formed the epoch of fern growth, of seedless plants. Recently, however, a wholeseries of famihes which until then, owing to the form 58 THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION of their foliage, had been regarded as true ferns, havehad their systematic classification entirely upset. Itwas found, for instance, that a number of isolated seedscould, with a probability bordering on certainty, beassociated with fern leaves and fern Oliver and Scottparticularly andStur previously havedone meritoriousservice in the deter-mination of thismost important dis-covery. Figs. 16 and 17
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