(94) 



to this genus by Newberry, we are struck with the range of 

 variability, not only within each species as defined by him, 

 but in the whole group, and the thought forces itself upon us 

 that perhaps it would be an advantage to cut down the total 

 number of species. Newberry has described seven species 

 from the Woodbridge horizon alone and only one from the 

 higher beds at South Amboy. The occurrence of a variety 

 of Ara/ia-liVie leaves in the Matawan shows that the imper- 

 fection of the record is probably responsible for their absence 

 in the intervening beds : and it seems rather incredible that 

 each form represents an ancient species that flourished on the 

 New Jersey coast in Cretaceous days. 



The leaves before us, while not uniform, seem to more 

 nearly represent Aral/a fahnata than any other known form. 

 Our f. 5 may be compared with Newberry's f. 6. While it 

 is about one sixth smaller, other fragments from Cliffwood 

 indicate a somewhat larger size ; the lobes are a trifle more 

 slender and the main sinuses somewhat deeper. The lower 

 margins were sometimes undulate and the latero-basal lobes 

 short. The lobation was, however, somewhat variable, as it 

 was also in Newberry's leaves. Oury. 6 might be compared 

 with a variety of forms, such as Ficus (?) Alaskana Newb. 

 (Later Ext. Fl. //. 51 . f- i) and Hedera obliqua Newb. or 

 Hedera ^rimordialis Newb. of the Amboy Clays. It has 

 the secondaries straighter than is usually the case in this 

 genus; in its tertiary venation it agrees with Newberry's^, j 

 of Aralia -palmata. The secondaries were distant and were 

 joined at their tip by widely arching loops. 



Other species with which our leaves may be compared are 

 Cissites ingens Lesq. and Liquidamhar integrifol'mm Lesq. 

 (Cret. and Tert. Fl. fl. 14./. 3). 



Aralia Groenlandica Heer. PL ^5. /. 4. 



Aralia Groenlandica Heer, Fl. Foss. Arct. 6^: 84. pi. jS. 



/• 3; P' 39' f' i^ t^- 46'/- i^^ n- 1882 (/. /; is 

 Aralia Ravniana) ; pi. 3()- /• 3 of Sassafras rccurvatuni 

 Lesq. is in all probability this species. Lesq. Fl. Dak. 



