1: 



LOWER EOCENE FLORAS OF SOUTHEASTERN NOKTll AMERICA. 



Lauru3 utaf.ensis. Lesquereux, U. S. Nat. Mus. Proc. vol. 



11, p. 24, 1888. 

 Ficus goldiana. Lesquereux, idem, p. 25. (Specimen 



No. 2471.) 

 Ficus denveriana. Cockerell, Torreya, vol. 10, p.224, IIIH). 



Description. — This spocics was described by 

 Lesquereux from the Denver formation and was 

 bixsed at first on the large h^af shown in figure 5 

 of Phile XXXII 1 of ■Tlie Tertiary flora." 

 Subsequently leaves of all sizes and .showing a 

 considerable range of variation were referred to 

 this species. It is abunchmt in the western 

 liaK of the Mississippi end)aynient tu-ea and may 

 be recharacterized as follows: Leaves of vari- 

 able size, ranging from 6 to 15 centimeters in 

 length and from 2.25 to 8.5 centimeters in 

 maximum width, which is at or more com- 

 monly below the middle. Broadly ovate in out- 

 line and with a somewhat extended acuminate 

 tip and a broadly rounded, slightly decurrent 

 base. Margins entire. Texture coriaceous. 

 Mich'ib stout, prominent on the lower surface of 

 the leaf. Secondaries of medium size, numer- 

 ous, opposite to jilternate, close or somewhat 

 remotely placed, generally subparaUel, diverg- 

 ing from the midrib at angles of about 45°, 

 camptodrome in the marginal region. The 

 lower pair may be opposite and somewhat 

 stouter, with outside lateral camptoch-ome 

 branches, thus simulating a palmately tri- 

 veined leaf. This is true of some of the 

 Louisiana material as well as of some of the 

 type materiid from the Denver formation, l)ut 

 in general tlie secondaries are idl simdar and 

 subparaUel. 



This species makes its appearance in the 

 Midwaj' (?) of Texas as well as the basal 

 Eocene of the Rocky Mountain province. It 

 continues throughout the Wilcox in Arkansas 

 and Louisiana, i)ut has not been detected in 

 the Eastern Gulf area. 



Occurrence. — Midway (?) formation, near 

 Earle, Bexar County, Tex. (collected by Alex- 

 ander Dcussen). 



Collection. — U. S. National Museum. 



Ficu-s occiDENTALis (Lcsqucreux) Lesquereux. 



Dombeyopms occidentalis. Lesquereux, U. S. Geol. and 

 Geog. Survey Terr. Ann. Rept. for 1872, p. 380, 187:5. 



Ficut occidentalis. Lesquereux, Tlie Tertiary flora, p. 200, 

 pi. :J2, fis. 4, 1878. 

 Lesquereux, Harvard Coll. Mus. Comp. Zool. I5ull., 

 vol. IG, p. .50, 1888. 



Description. — Leaves of large size, orbicular 

 in general outline, with a luuTowed and pro- 



duced tip. Base truncate or slightly cordate. 

 Length about 12 centimeters. Maximum 

 width, at or below the middle, about 8.5 centi- 

 meters. Margins entire. Texture coriaceous. 

 Primaries stout, jjrominent, tiiree in number, 

 diverging from the l)ase of tiie leaf, the midrib 

 being the stoutest. Secondiuies numerous, 

 stout, camptodrome. Tertiaries thin but well 

 mai'keil, percurrent, foi'king near the middle. 



The type of this species came from the Den- 

 ver formation at Golden, Colo., and was 

 originally referretl to Dombeyopsis by Les- 

 quereux because of its supposed resemblance to 

 the existing genus Dombeya Cavanailles of the 

 Sterculiaceie. It resembles Ficus filinfoUa and 

 also Ficus harrisiana, which was described by 

 Hollick from the WUcox Eocene of Louisiana. 

 It is not uncommon in the Raton formation of 

 New Mexico. It occurs in a fragmentary con- 

 dition in the Midway (?) collections from 

 Te.xas and is also a member of the succeeding 

 WUcox flora. 



Occurrence. — Midway ( ?) formation, Earli', 

 Bexar County, Tex. (collected by /Uexander 

 Deussen and L. W. Stephenson). 



Collection. — U. S. National Museum. 



Ficus sp. 



Description. — Leaves of large size and ample 

 width, either entire or more or less trilobat(>. 

 Length at least 20 centimeters. Maximum 

 width about the same as the length. Margin 

 not preserved. Leaf substance subcoriaceous. 

 Venation open, not stout, tripalmate from at or 

 near the base. Lateral primaries of the same 

 cahber as the midrib. Secondaries suboppo- 

 site and subparaUel. Tertiaries numerous, 

 regular, subparaUel, percurrent. Areolation 

 open, largely quadrangular. 



Tliis large-leafed sjjecies is represented only 

 l)y fragments. Though it appears to represent 

 a new species it is too incomplete for specific 

 characterization. It is, however, identical 

 with simdar fragments described by me from 

 the HoUy Springs sand of the Wilcox group at 

 IloUy vSprings, Miss. It res(Mul)les a numlier 

 of existing and fossil large-leafed species of the 

 genus Ficus, but it is not certainly a Ficus, 

 altiiough it is clearly a member of the family 

 Moracese. It also suggests the alhed genus 

 Cecropia Linne, which has from .U) to 40 

 existing species in tropical Amei'ica, wliere they 

 range from Mexico to Brazil. Fttingshausen 

 referred a fossil form fi-oni the Aquitanian of 



