206 



LOWER EOCENE FLORAS OF SOI'THEASTERN XOHTII A:\IERICA. 



Apex shortly poiiiti'il. liasc hniadlN louiulcil. 

 slightly cordate or very broailly jjointed. 

 Lciis;;lh ranges from 9 to 11 centimeters. Max- 

 imum width ranges from 3..'} to 5 centimeters 

 at or somewhat below the middl<>. Tliere is 

 considerable variation hi tlie appearance of 

 these leaves, well illustrated in tiie specimens 

 figured. The widest lesif has full, regularly 

 curved margins and is shoi-tly and broadly 

 pointed distad and still more broatlly pohited 

 proxLmad. From this extreme the leaves vary 

 toward forms that have a rounded, almost 

 truncate base and a somewhat extended tip. 

 The extreme form as regards the extended tip 

 has a slightly cordate base, witii full and 

 rounded lower lateral margins, nearly straight 

 sides, and an elongated narrowed tip. Petiole 

 short and stout. Midrib stout, prominent on 

 the lower surface of the leaf. Secondaries 

 relatively thin, 10 to 12 subopposite to alternate 

 pairs, remote and somewliat irregularly spaced, 

 diverging from the mitlrib at wide angles, 

 nearly 90°, nearly straight until they reach the 

 marginal region, where they turn abruptly 

 upward and form a wide arch to the secondary 

 next above. Tertiaries mostly obsolete. Mar- 

 gins entire. 



This well-marked species is distinct from pre- 

 viously described forms. It appears to have 

 been not uncommon in the upjjcr part of the 

 embayment area in Wilcox time and suggests 

 by its outline the leaves of Cordia. The vena- 

 tion, however, is tj-pically that of a Ficus. A 

 number of existmg species resemble this fossil 

 form, as, for example, Ficus ferruginea and 

 Ficus anguvtifoJia. It is represented m the 

 lower Claiborne by a closely allied species, 

 Ficus unionensis Berry. 



Occurrence. — Grenada formation, Grenada, 

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

 Lowe and E. W. Berry) . Ackerman formation, 

 Hurleys, Benton County, Miss, (collected by 

 E. N. Lowe and K. W. Berry). Lagrange 

 formation (in beds of Wilcox age), Puryear, 

 Henry County, Tcnn. (collected by E. W. 

 Berry) . 



Collections. — U. S. National Museum. 



Ficus puryearensis elongai a Berry, n. var. 

 Plate XX\I II, fif;uro-t. 



Description. — Leaf ol)long-lanceolate, with 

 acuminate tip and narrowly cuu(^ato base. 



Length generally aliout 1:2 centimeters, ranghig 

 to 1.') centimeters. Maximum width, in middle 

 part of tiie leaf, generally about '.^.'•> centimeters 

 or slightly less, ranging to 5.6o centimeters. 

 Margins entire. Texture subcoriaceous. Petiole 

 short and very stout, about 7.5 centimeters 

 in length. Midrib stout, curved, promuient 

 on tlie lower surface of the leaf. Secondaries 

 thin, dixcrging from the midrib at wide angles, 

 cami)todrome to a considerable distance from 

 the margins. 



Ficuft piinixmnsis is a variable type, grading 

 from ellipticiil to elongate outlines. Ficus 

 ■puryearensis elongata differs from Ficus pur- 

 yearensis iji its narrower, more elongate outline 

 and in tlie narrowly cuneate or only slightly 

 rounded instead of the conspicuously romided 

 base. Venation very close to the tvpe. 



In the maximum-sized forms of tliis variety 

 the leaves are very coarse ami Ijoth the midrib 

 and the secondaries are extremely stout. 



Occurrence. — Lagrange formation (in l)eds of 

 Wilcox age), Puryear, Henry County, Teim. 

 (collected by E. W^ Berry). 



Collection. — U. S. National Museum. 



Ficus sp. 

 Plate XXIV, fiffure 1. 



Description. — Leaves of large size and ample 

 width, either entire or more or less trilobate. 

 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 a 

 point at or near the base. Lateral primaries 

 the same caliber as the midrib. Secondaries 

 subopposite and subparaDel. Tertiaries num- 

 (Tous, regular, subparallcl, ])ercurrent. Areo- 

 latioii open, largely (juadrangular. 



This large-leafed species is represented by 

 fragments, the larg(>st of which has been 

 figured. Though it appears to represent a new 

 species it is too incomplete for specific char- 

 acterization. It resembles a number of exist- 

 ing and fossil large-leaf(Hl species of the genus 

 Ficus, but it is not certainly a Ficus although it 

 is ch^arly a, mcnilxu" of the family Moracea^. It 

 also suggests the allied genus Cccropia Linne, 

 which comprises from 80 to 40 existing species 

 ill tropical America, ranging from Mexico to 

 Brazil. Ettingshauseii rcfcrnnl a fossil form 

 from the Aquitanian of Bohemia to this genius. 



