202 



LOWER EOCENE FLORAS OE SOUTllEASTEEX XOHTH A.MEIilCA. 



as Popuhis monodon bptwcon Popidus mutahUis 

 ovnlis Hoer' and Flcus xincata Losqucroux.^ 



Unlike most of the forms figured in Les- 

 qiioreux's paper of 1S69 those referred to 

 Popidus are very poorly drawn, and their 

 describer failed to descrihe or figure the in- 

 curring of the lateral margin on the right, as 

 shown in the present figm-e, which is a photo- 

 graph of the type of Lesquereux's figure 1, or 

 that the base of the leaf was ])resent immedi- 

 ately to the left of the midrib. These two 

 additional features serve admirably to indicate 

 the l)asal characters of this species, which is 

 undoubt(>tlly a Ficus. and which may be more 

 fuUy described as follows: Leaves large, 17 to 

 18 centimeters in length by 12 centimeters in 

 maximum width, which is in the l^asal half, 

 eUiptical-ovate in outline, with a markedly 

 undulate margin, narrowed and acuminate 

 apex, and broatUy rounded, truncated base, 

 which may perhaps have been slightly cordate 

 ui some specimens. Texture coriaceous but 

 the leaf substance thin. Midrib very stout, 

 3 millimeters in diameter at the base, longi- 

 tudinally lined. Secondaries relatively thin, 

 numerous, subopposite to alternate, mostly 

 alternate, rather evenly spaced and subparaUel, 

 diverging from the midrib at angles of about 

 65°, the lower but slightly curved untd they 

 approach the margins, the upper more curved, 

 all camptodrome. Tertiary venation im- 

 mersed, percmTcnt where seen. 



The present species has the same outhne as 

 the associated but smaller Ficus scliimperi 

 Lesquereux, with a much more immersed 

 venation, however, and a great many more 

 secondaries, subtendmg much wider angles. 

 It also resembles Ficus spcctabilis Lesquereux ^ 

 of the Denver basin Eocene in outline, but is 

 slightly larger and relatively broader and 

 lacks the outer lateral tertiaries which spring 

 from the basal secondaries in the Colorado 

 species. It is the same type of leaf as Ficus 

 uncata Lesquereux ' of the basal Eocene in the 

 Itocky Mountain region, but the tip is more ex- 

 tended, the base more truncated, and it lac-ks 

 the camptodrome tertiaries from th(> onU'T 

 ends of lower secondaries present in Ficus 

 uncata. 



' Ueor, Oswald, Flora tertiaria Ilelvolia,-, vol. 2, p. 22, pi. 1, figs. 1, 2, 

 etc., 1850. 

 ' Irosqucreux, Leo, The Tertiary flora, p. 197, pi. 35, figs. 1, la, 2, 1878. 

 "Idem, p. 199, pi. 33, fins. 4-0, 1878. 

 •Idem, p. 197, pi. 35, flgs. 1, la, 2, 1878. 



Occurrence. — Grenada formation, Cirenada, 

 Grenada County, Miss, (collected by E. N. 

 Lowe and E. W. Berry). Ackennan fomia- 

 tion. Hurleys, Benton County (formerly part of 

 Tippah Comity), MLss. (collected bv E. W. 

 llUgard, E. N.' Lowe, and E. W. Berrj^). La- 

 grange formation (in beds of WUcox age). Pur- 

 year, Henry Comity, Tenn. (collected by E. W. 

 Berry). 



Collections. — U. S. National Museum. 



Ficrs ^\^L^oxENSIS Berry, n. sp. 

 Plate XXVII, figure 6. 



Sapindusfalci/uliiis Alexander Braun. Lesquereux, U. S. 



Nat. Mus. Proc, vol. 11, p. 12, pi. 4, fig. 4, 1888. 

 Loughridge, Report on the geological and economic 



features of the Jackson's purchase region, p. 198, 



1888. 

 f!apin(lH.<s dubivs. Lesquereux, LT. S. Nat. Mus. Proc. vol. 



11, p. n, 1888 (part). 

 Lougliridgc, Report on the geological and economic 



features of the Jackson's purchase region, p. 198, 



1888. 



Description. — Leaves relatively small, sym- 

 metrically elongate-lanceolate in outline, with 

 the apex and the base equally narrowed and 

 acuminate. Length about 7 centimeters. 

 Maximum width, in the middle part of the 

 leaf, about 1.8 centimeters. Margins regu- 

 larly curved, entire. Texture coriaceous. 

 Petiole short and rather stout, about 7 milli- 

 meters in length. Midrib stout, prominent on 

 the lower surface of the leaf. Secondaries 

 thin, numerous, subparallel, mostly immersed 

 in tlie leaf substance; they diverge from the 

 midrib at wide angles, 60° to 70°, at intervals 

 generally of about 2 mUhmeters, and pursue a 

 nearly straiglit course to tlie marginal region, 

 where they curve abruptly upward to form 

 camptodrome arches subparallel Math the 

 margins. 



Tliis characteristic species in its form, tex- 

 ture, and venation is a typical Ficus, although 

 specimens that have more remote secondaries 

 suggest some lauraceous leaf, as well as some 

 of the descriJMHl species of Apocynopliyllum. 

 It is the smallest of the Wdc^ox species of Ficus 

 and greatly resembles numerous receipt and 

 fossil (igs that liave small lanceolate, pinnately 

 veined leaves. The existing Ficus americana 

 Aul)let has somewhat similar leaves, although 

 they are a little larger and have less numerous 

 secondaries. Among fossil forms the present 

 species resembles the narrower forms of the 



