FLORA OF THE FKUITLAND AND KIETLAND FORMATIONS. 



343 



The leaf figured is the best one observed. 

 It is about 7 centimeters long and slightly 

 over 2 centimeters in width, the petiole, as 

 already stated, addmg at least 2.5 centime- 

 ters to the total length. This species niay be 

 known by its elliptical-lanceolate shape, long 

 wedge-shaped base, long, thick petiole, and 

 only foui" pau"s of alternate secondaries. 



Occurrence: Fruitland formation, 30 miles 

 south of Farmmgton and 1 mile east of reser- 

 vation Ime, San Juan County, N. Mex. Lot 

 75 (6956). 



Phyllites neomexlcanus Knowlton, n. sp. 



Plate XCI, figure 2. 



Leaf small, rather thick in texture, slightly 

 obovate-eUiptical, rather abruptly wedge- 

 shaped at base, apparently roimded and 

 rather obtuse above; margin entire; midrib 

 relatively strong; secondaries about five pau's, 

 subopposite, remote, at an angle of about 50°, 

 somewhat turned upward, camptodrome or 

 just barely reaching the margin; nervilles 

 mainlj^ imbroken, somewhat oblique to the 

 secondaries. 



This little leaf is 6.5 centimeters m length 

 and 3 centimeters in width just above the 

 middle. 



Occurrence: Fruitland formation, 30 miles 

 south of Farmington and 1 mde east of reser- 

 vation Ime, San Juan Coimty, N. Mex. Lot 

 75 (6956). 



Unassigned plant (a). 



Plate XCI, figures 4-9. 



In one of the collections there are several 

 specimens of a plant whoso exact affinity has 

 not been ascertained. The most complete ex- 

 ample, shown in figm-o 8 (enlarged in fig. 9), is 

 pinnate, with several naiTOwIy lanceolate fern- 

 like "pmnae," about 15 miUimetors long and 

 5 millimeters broad, with two close rows of 

 small, scythe-shaped organs (pinnules or leaf- 

 lets). Some of the little "pinnules" (see fig. 

 4) are short-petioled; others are nearly or quite 

 sessile below, becommg confluent above. In 

 the upper portion of some of the "pinnas" the 

 "pinnules" are set so closely that the blades 

 distinctly overlap. 



The nervation of the "puinules" is pecuUar. 

 A single vein arises from the petiole at the 

 lower margin of the blade and forks just above 



its point of origin; the lower branch usually 

 traverses the length of the blade and occasion- 

 ally branches or forks, and tho upper one dis- 

 tinctly forks once or twice into equal branches 

 entirely after tho manner of a fern. 



The size and general appearance of this little 

 plant, as well as the shape and clo§e overlap- 

 ping of many of tho foliar organs ("pinnules" 

 or "leaflets"), are somewhat suggestive of 

 Selagmella, but if it were of that genus it 

 should belong to a typo m which there should 

 be present two other rows of minute scalelike 

 leaves, and nothing of the kind has been de- 

 tected. Moreover, the nervation does not 

 agree with the nervation of SelagineUa. 



On first inspection it suggested SelagineUa 

 falcata Lesquereux,' from Point of Rocks, 

 Wyo., but closer study shows that the "leaves" 

 are much broader in the present material and 

 have a quite different nervation. 



The pinnate arrangement of the naiTOW 

 "pinnae," the appearance of the "pumules," 

 and above all the forking nervation suggest a 

 small dehcate fern of the asplenoid type, but 

 Mr. W. R. Maxon, to whom the specimen was 

 shown, is quite certain it is not a pteridophyte. 



Considering these imcer tain ties as to its affin- 

 ities, I will not vontm-e to place it biologically 

 until more and better material is available. 



Occmrence: Ku'tland shale, li miles north- 

 east of Pina Veta Clnna, San Juan County, 

 N. Mex. Lot 43 (6965). 



Unassigned plant (b). 

 Plate XCI, figure 1. 



In one of the collections of red baked shale 

 there is a specimen that is worthy of brief 

 mention, although it is very fragmentary and 

 hence difficult of allocation. It consists of a 

 fragment of a stem about 4 centimeters in 

 length and about 4 rmllimeters in diameter. 

 It bears apparently opposite or subopposite 

 leaves, whose sheathing bases cover the stem 

 for a considerable distance below each node. 

 The leaves are lanceolate and slightly con- 

 stricted at the base and presumably acute at 

 the apex, though no tips are preserved. The 

 leaves are retained for a length of about L5 

 centimeters, but may well have been many 

 times this length. They are unkeeled ami pro- 



1 Lesquereux, Leo, U. S. Geol. Stirvey Terr. Eept., vol. 7, p. 40, pi. 61, 

 figs. 12-15, 187S. 



