1908] A Collection- of Fossil Woods. 83 



This is a species originally described from the Cretaceous 

 of Medicine Hat, Alberta, but which has more recently been 

 found in the Tertiary of Kettle River, near Midwav, B.C. ^ 

 Its present occurrence in the Edmonton Series is, therefore, 

 fully in accord with its previously known distribution. 

 Sequoia .^lbertensis, x. sp. 



The unnumbered specim.en from the Edmonton Series 

 represents a wood which is exceedingly well preserved in many 

 portions, and admits of a detailed diagnosis. It is therefore 

 taken as the type to which specimens 275 and 276 also belong, 

 and they all clearly represent the same species of Sequoia. The 

 diagnosis is as follows: — 



Sequoia albertexsis, x. sp. 

 Transverse. — Growth rings variable; the summer wood 

 dense, sometimes rather open and occasionally double, the 

 transition from the spring wood rather abrupt ; spring wood open, 

 the tracheids thin- walled, large, distinctly squarish-hexagonal 

 and often much elongated radially. Resin cells scattering, 

 sometimes rather numerous throughout, but especially dominant 

 in the summer wood. Medullary rays distant 2-8, more rarely 

 10 roivs of tracheitis. Tracheids rather uniform, sometimes in 

 irregular rows in the summer wood. 



Radial. — Ray cells straight or more often contracted at tlie 

 ends, equal to about 4 spring tracheids; the upper and lower 

 walls rather thick, entire or sparingly pitted; the terminal walls 

 rather thin, not pitted; the lateral walls with oval, conspicuously 

 bordered pits, the broadly lenticular orifice usually diagonal to the 

 cell axis , at fi rst 1 or 2, at length becoming 1 per tracheid in the summer 

 wood. Bordered pits large, numerous, round or oval, commonly 

 in two rows in the earlier spring wood. Pits on the tangential 

 walls of the summer tracheids numerous and prominent and 

 large, but rather narrowly lenticular. Resin cells numerous, 

 resinous. 



Tangential. — Medullary rays numerous, often upwards of 

 54 cells high, frequently more or less two-rowed. Cells frequently 

 very re.sinous, oval or squarish, sometimes oblong, but chieflv 

 uniform and equal throughout. 



A comparison of these woods with that of the existing 

 S. sempervirens, or red-wood, shows most interesting and very 

 close relations. In the diagnosis of 5. albertensis , certain of the 

 structural details are given in italics. These indicate the res- 

 pects in which there is an essential difference between it and 

 5. sempervirens. In all other features the two woods are 



2. lUd. 



