Nematophycus (nem"atofikus)

[NL., found in the Devonian of Gaspé in Canada, by Dawson, and named by him Pro to taxites and considered to belong to the Coniferæ, although differing in certain important respects. The same plant, to which Dawson later gave the name of Nema to phyton, was examined by Carruthers and placed among the Algæ, he considering it an anomalous alga and one which it was not po ible to correlate with certainty with any known alga. Later (in 1875) the same plant was discovered by Hicks much lower in the geological series, namely, in the Denbighshire grits (a rock occupying a rather uncertain position, but probably near the limit between Upper and Lower Silurian). The specimens from this position have been identified with the Nematophycus of Carruthers (the Pro to taxites of Dawson) by Ethe ridge, who considers it as unquestionably forming a portion of a colo al seaweed, whose habits resemble those of the North Pacific species of the genus Nereocystis and the arborescent Le on iæ.