(90 



specimens (y. j, ^), but differs in having the midrib branch 

 at some distance above the base. Both ancient and modern 

 Stcrculia leaves vary considerably, and StcrcuUa Snozuii has 

 a bilobed form. 



There is considerable resemblance to the smaller leaves 

 from the Raritan at Woodbridge, which Newberry refers to 

 Sassafras aaUilohiim Lesq. (Fl. Amboy Clays, //. 2§.f. ^,5, 

 (5, id). Leaves of the living Sterculia diversifolia occiden- 

 talis Benth., from interior Australia, contained in the Meis- 

 ner Herbarium, are very similar to Sterculia mucronata. 



ARALIACEAE. 



Aralia Linn. Sp. PL 273. 1753. 



The genus Aralia has never been precisely defined for the 

 paleobotanist, the custom being to follow precedent and refer 

 a variety of polymorphic leaves of synthetic types to this 

 genus — leaves having a variety of affinities, Platanoid, Sas- 

 safroid, etc., as well as leaves allied to Cissus and Hedera. 

 The existing flora includes some twenty-seven species of 

 North America and Asia, six of which are American ; only 

 one of these, however (^4. spinosa L.), is arborescent. The 

 ancient flora contains numerous leaves that have been referred 

 to this genus, besides several that have been referred to the 

 allied genus Araliaefhyllum. The distribution of the Amer- 

 ican fossil species is as follows:* Potomac i, and 4 sp. of 

 Araliaephyllian^ Raritan 8, Matawan 6, Island Raritan 5, 

 Dakota 13, Mill Creek 3, Laramie 3, Denver i, Ft. Union 5, 

 Tertiary of Yellowstone Park 3, Green River i, Eocene 4, 

 Miocene 5, Atane beds 2, Patoot beds i, Greenland Tertiary 2. 



Velenovsky enumerates two species from the Cenomanian 

 of Bohemia, A. decurrens being apparently identical with A. 

 Safortanea of the Dakota, and the other, A. coriacea, reap- 

 pearing at Martha's Vineyard. From the European Tertiary 

 some thirty-two species are recorded, none occurring in the 

 existing flora of Europe. 



* Ettingshausen (Trans. N. Z. Inst. 19: 449) records Aralia in the Tas- 

 manian Tertiary. 



