322 



LOW'EK liOCKNE I'LOKAS OF SOUXliKASI KK>- .NOUIil AMEKICA. 



posite pairs diverge from the midrib at angles 

 of 45° to 50°, siihparallel, unequally spaced, 

 rather straightly ascending to the niargiiud 

 region, where they curve upward in a campto- 

 drome manner close to and parallel with the 

 marginal undulations. Tertiaries mimersed 

 and obsolete. 



The distinctive characters of this striking 

 form are well shown b}' the photograph of the 

 basal and distal portions of the leaves lyuig 

 close together in the clays, the basal portions 

 showing the imder surface and the distal por- 

 tions the upper surface. The S2:)ecies, though 

 fragmentary, is not rare and the fragments are 

 assembled in the drawing of a complete loaf 

 which shows the mmimum of size and width 

 rather than the maximum, the long stout 

 petiole also giving it a more slender appear- 

 ance than it really possesses. These leaves are 

 well marked, only slightly varia])k', and more 

 or less inequilateral but not nearly to the ex- 

 tent of Comhretuin ovalis. 



They are readily distinguishable from the 

 orbicular-like leaves of Combretum ovalis, and 

 theu' long stout channeled petiole is unlike that 

 of any other known member of the Wilcox 

 flora. They are not dissimilar from the leaves 

 of several existing American species of Com- 

 bretmn and constitute another striking ele- 

 ment of the Wilcox flora. They are not espe- 

 cially close to any described fossil species of 

 Combretum. 



The existing species of Combretum number 

 about 130, of which about half are trees. They 

 are widely distributed in the tropical and sub- 

 tropical regions of both the old and new world 

 but do not reach the southern border of the 

 United States. They are absent in Australia, 

 New Zealand, and Oceanica. About 35 species 

 are endemic in South America. Several spe- 

 cies, scandent in habit, extend through the 

 West Indies from South America to Cu]>a. 



Occurrence. — Lagrange formation (in beds of 

 Wilcox age), Puryear, Henry County, Tenn. 

 (collected by E. W. Berry). 



Collection. — U. S. National Museum. 



Combretum obovalis Berry, n. sp. 



Plate XC'I, %ure8 G and 7. 



Description. — Large coarse, somewliat in- 

 equilateral leaves, (illiptical-ol)()vate in gc^neral 

 outline, widest above th(! middle, (lu^ apex 

 broadly rounded, slightly retuse and finally 



prominently nuicronate and the base a])ruptly 

 romided and finally cuneate. Length about 

 13 centimeters. Maxunum width al>out 7.75 

 centimeters. Margins entire. Texture thick 

 and coriaceous. Petiole very stout, not pre- 

 served. Midrib extraordinarily stout through- 

 out, 3 millimeters in diameter at the base, very 

 prommcnt on the lower surface of the leaf. 

 Secondaries stout; about eight pau's diverge 

 from the midrib at angles of about 55° to 60°, 

 curving but slightly in their courses, campto- 

 drome in tlie marghial region. Tertiaries 

 immersed in the leaf substance. 



This is a very characteristic form, witli its 

 Ijroad retuse and then apiculate ti]), itsroundedly 

 constricted and then cuneate base, and its very 

 thick texture and coarse venation. In its 

 coarse texture and elliptical form it resembles 

 ('omhretum ovalis (Lesquereux) Berry, which, 

 however, is relatively shorter and wider and has 

 a pointed tip, fewer secondaries, and a broad, 

 evenly rounded base. The other Wilcox species 

 of Combretum, ('omhretum imlcoxensis Berry, 

 is not quite so coarsely vehied and is relatively 

 longer and narrower, being gradually narrowed 

 from about the middle upward to the obtusely 

 pointed tip. 



Occurrence . — Lagrange formation (in beds of 

 Wilcox age), Puryear, Henry County, Tenn. 

 (collected by E. W. Berry). Wilcox group, 

 near Mansfield, De Soto Parish, La. (collected 

 by Mr. Fox). 



Collection. — U. S. National Museum. 



Genus COMBRETANTHITES Berry. 



Combretantliites. Berry, U. S. Nat. Mus. Proc, vol. 4.5, 

 p. 261, 1913. 



This genus was proposed for the following 

 species, which is based on a fossil flower n>fcr- 

 able to the Combretaccie and very similar to 

 the flowers of some of tlie species of Combretum. 

 To avoid any seeming inaccuracies the species 

 is described in detail from the specimen, even 

 though sucii a method r(^p(^ats some of the 

 floral characters that run tlu'ough tiie family. 



COMBRETANTHITES EOCENICA Berry. 



Plate XCVI, figures 1-5. 



Combretanthites cocenifn. Berry, U. S. Nat. Mus. Proc, 

 vol. 45, p. 2G2, pi. 21, 19i:{. 



Description. — This s|)ecies is l)as(Mi on tlie 

 exceptionally preserved flower shown in natural 



