DESCRIPTION OF SPECIES— PEOTEE^.. 211 



PROTEEiE. 



LOMATIA, Rob. Br. 



Lomatia! niicrophylla, Lesqz. 



Plate LXV, Figs. 14, 15. 



Lomaiia microphyUa, Lesqx., Auniial Report, 1874, p. 315. 



Leaves very small, coriaceous, entire, linear-lanceolate, gradually narrowed from the middle to a 

 point, and in tbe same degree to the base ; secondary veins simple, abruptly curving near the borders 

 and following them or entering a marginal band. 



These veiy small leaves, two to four centimeters long, from two and a 

 half to four millimeters broad, and of a thick substance, are very similar in 

 shape, and also in the character of their nervation, to Lomatia Jirma, Heer 

 (Bait. Fl., p. 35, pi. viii, figs. 6-9), the secondary veins being straight and on 

 an open angle of divergence to the borders, where tliey abruptly curve, or 

 rather enter a marginal vein. This last character is more evident than w6uld 

 be a curve, even abrupt, and therefore the reference to this genus might seem 

 to be authorized, though this is as yet the only species of our Tertiary flora 

 referable to this family. But there is also a marked resemblance of these 

 leaves with the fine Pistacia aguensix, Sap. (Et., iii, 2, p. 203, pi xv. figs. 1-24), 

 and this reference would be the more admissible, since species of the Ana- 

 cardiacece are very abundant in the formation whore these leaves have been 

 found. As no trac:" of intermediate veins or of areolation can be observed on 

 the specimens, I am unable to decide. The form of the leaves is more like 

 that of the Lomatia as figured by Heer. Anyhow, this species is evidently 

 dilFerent by the form and size of its leaves from both the European ones to 

 which it is compared. In fig. 15 of our plate, the lateral veins are indis- 

 cernible, the thick epidermis, transformed into coal, covering them entirel}', 

 except near the border, where the marginal veinlet is indistinctly observable. 



Habitat. — Gree''* River group, Wyoming, with Sajjindus oblusifolius and 

 Musophyllum ( Wm. Cleburn). 



LAURINE^. 



This order of plants is now widely distributed in the tropical regions 

 of Asia and of America; very few species living in Australia, and still fewer 

 in Africa. A single species belongs to Europe. Of more than nine hundred 

 species, referred to fifty-four genera, as described by Meissner in the Prodro- 

 nius, we have, in the present flora of North America, five representatives 

 only, of the genera Ptrsea, Sassafras, Benzoin, and Telranthera; South Florida 

 has two more, one Per sea and one Cassytha; California has two Orcodaphne. 



