48 CONTRIBUTIONS TO PAL^ONTOLOGY 



Sabalites eocenica (Lesquereux) Dorf, n. comb. 



(Plate 2, Fig. 6; Plate 3, Fig. 3) 



Flahellaria eocenica Lesquereux, U. S. Geol. and Geog. Surv. Terr., Ann. Rept. (1872), 391, 1873; idem (1873), 

 380, 1874; idem (1876), 502, 1878; Rept. U. S. Geol. Surv. Terr., vol. 7, 111, pl. 13, figs. 1, 2 (not 3), 1878. 

 Sabal communis Lesquereux, U. S. Geol. and Geog. Surv. Terr., Ann. Rept. (1874), 311, 1876. 

 Flahellaria comnmnis Lesquereux, U. S. Geol. and Geog. Surv. Terr., Ann. Rept. (1875), 385, 1876. 

 Sabal inquirenda Ivnowlton, U. S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Paper 101, 288, pl. 56, 1917. 

 Sahal? rugosa Knowlton, U. S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Paper 101, 288, pl. 58, 1917. 

 Sabal? eocenica Ivnowlton, U. S. Geol. Surv. BuII. 696, 557, 1919. 



The two figured counterparts and a number of fragmentary specimens are identical in every 

 respect with the specimens originally called Flabellaria eocenica Lesquereux, and are indistinguish- 

 able from the type and figured specimens of the other species cited above. 



Ivnowlton justifiably inckided all these species except Sabal? rugosa in his Sabalf eocenica. 

 In a later report,' however, he confused the status of this species by referring it, along with many 

 others, to Sabalites grayanus Lesquereux, originally described from the Eocene of Mississippi.^ 

 After an examination of the type specimens of all of these species at the U. S. National Museum, 

 I am convinced that Knowlton's Sabal? eocenica can readily be distinguished by the foUowing 

 characters: (1) rounded and compressed aspect of the rays near their point of attachment; (2) 

 number of folds — 60 to 80; (3) shghtly concave upper surface of the petiole; (4) truncate to 

 rounded distal end of the rachis on its upper face; (5) prolongation to 6 to 8 centimeters of the 

 abruptly narrowed, pointed, distal end of the rachis on its lower face. AU the specimens which 

 Knowlton synonymized with S.? eocenica exhibit this set of characteristics. The type specimen of 

 Sabal? rugosa, moreover, clearly indicates that it is the upper face of the same species. 



In view of the fact that I&iowlton questioned the reference to Sabal, it seems advisable to 

 change the generic name to the less definitive Sabalites. As S. eocenica is now conceived, it is 

 characteristic of the uppermost Cretaceous strata of the Rocky Mountain region, occurring in the 

 Black Buttes, the lower Raton, the lower Medicine Bow, and the lower Lance floras.' 



Occurrence — Corson Ranch, Wyoming, Locs. P. 371, P. 372; north of Walcott, Wyoming, 

 Loc. P. 373. 



Collection—H. C. Mus. Pal., Plesiotypes Nos. 1301, 1302. 



Genus PALMOCARPON Lesquereux 



Palmocarpon? subcylindrieum Lesquereux 



(Plate 2, Figs. 2, 3) 



Palmocarpon subcylindricum Lesquereux, Rept. U. S. Geol. Surv. Terr., vol. 7, 121, pl. 11, fig. 12, 1878. 



There are three good specimens of this type in the coUections. Lesquereux's description is 

 as f ollows : 



"Fruit oblong or subcyhndrical, truncate at one end, spHt at the other in two diverging or 

 slightly recurved, pointed lobes, distantly and obscurely veined toward the base." 



The Medicine Bow specimens fit this description perfectly except that the veining is less 

 obscure. Comparison with the type specimens at the U. S. National Mu.seum indicated a close 

 similarity in all characters except size. The veins are definitely not as far apart as Lesquereux's 

 figures would indicate. 



Knowlton has reported additional specimens of this species from the Denver formation and 

 has questioned the reference to Palmocarpon.^ 1 have no definite suggestion as yet regarding the 

 true botanical affinity of the species. 



Occurrence — Corson Ranch, Wyoming, Loc. P. 371. 



Collection—V. C. Mus. Pal., Plesiotypes Nos. 1303, 1304. 



' Knowlton, F. H., U. S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Paper 155, 36, pl. 9, fig. 5, 1930. 

 ' Lesquereux, Leo, Am. Philos. Soc. Trans., vol. 13, 412, pl. 14, figs. 4-6, 1869. 

 ' Knowlton, F. H., Washington Acad. Sci. Proc, vol. 11, 204, 207, 1Q09. 

 * Knowlton, F. H., U. S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Paper 155, 42, 1930. 



