On Pseudoaraucaria Fliche emend., a Genus of Fossil Pinaceous Cones

The type material of some fossil Pinaceous cones (from the Albianof France) originally described by Fliche in 1896 under thename Pseudoaraucaria is here redescribed in detail. The conesare similar in form to one from the English Lower Greensandhitherto called Pityostrobus benstedi (Mantell) Seward whichis also redescribed here. This newly recognized group of conesdiffers from the cones of any of the recent members of the Pinaceaechiefly by (a) the massive ridge of scale tissue lying betweenthe seeds so that these are deeply embedded in the basal partof the scale, and (b) the presence of a cushion of parenchymaat the chalazal end of the seed. The probable significance ofthese and certain other characters is discussed.