56 CONTRIBUTIONS TO PAL^ONTOLOGY 



Ficus trinervis Knowlton 

 (Plate 6, Figs. 1, 4) 



Ficus trinervis ICnowlton, U. S. Geol. Surv. Bull. 163, 42, 1900; Cockerell, Am. Mus. Nat. History Bull., vol. 24, 



89, 1908; Knowlton, Washington Acad. Sci. Proc, vol. 11, 197, 1909. 

 Cinnamomum affine Lesquereux (in part), Rept. U. S. Geol. Surv. Terr., vol. 7, 219, pl. 37, fig. 5 only, 1878; 



Ward, U. S. Geol. Surv., 6th Ann. Rept., 553, pl. 67, figs. 1-3, 1886; idem, BuII. 37, 50, pl. 24, figs. 3-5, 



1887. 

 Ficus prcptrinervis Knowlton (in part), U. S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Paper 101, 263, 304, pl. 41, figs. 1-3 only, pl. 42, 



fig. 1, 1917; idem, Prof. Paper 98, 338, 1916; idem, Prof. Paper 155, 71, pl. 28, fig. 8 only, 1930. 

 Ficus haddeni Knowlton, U. S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Paper 101, 260, pl. 38, figs. 6, 7, 1917. 

 Malapoenna louisvilknsis Ivnowlton, U. S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Paper 130, 144, pl. 7, fig. 5, 1922. 

 Ficus moplanicosta Knowlton (in part), U. S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Paper 155, 69, only pl. 29, figs. 3, 4, 1930. 

 Cinnamomum sp. Ivnowlton, ibid., 87, pl. 39, fig. 1. 



This type of leaf is not abundant, being represented by only 6 specimens from 3 localities. 

 None of these is perfectly complete, but enough is preserved to show that these can not be sepa- 

 rated from the type specimens (not figured by Knowlton) of Ficiis trinervis, and the figured and 

 type specimens erroneously referred to Cinnamojnum affine which Knowlton properly referred to 

 Ficus trinervis. Knowlton justifiably distinguished these specimens from Cinnamomum affine by 

 the character of the basal secondaries, which "pass to extreme base of the blade and arise with and 

 at the same point as the midrib." ^ In his report on the Vermejo flora Knowlton subsequently 

 described what he called a very closely related species, Ficus pra:trinervis, which he di.stinguished 

 from F. trinervis by a slight outward arching of the basal secondaries in the upper half of the blade. 

 Since this minor difference does not appear to be consistent in my specimens or in the type speci- 

 mens or duphcates at the U. S. National Museum, I feel justified in uniting these two species. 



The characters which appear to be diagnostic of Ficus trinervis are as follows: shape broadly 

 ovate to ovate-lanceolate; obtuse to slightly acuminate tip, and abruptly rounded decurrent base; 

 tri-nerved from below the actual base of the blade, so that the basal laterals form the margin of 

 the leaf down to the petiole; margin entire; lateral secondaries given off from the midrib at very 

 acute angles, almost paralleUng the niidrib and finally joining the next secondaries above by 

 marginal loops. The four species Usted above as synonymous with F. trinervis all possess this 

 same set of characters. 



As now known, Ficus trinervis is present in the Medicine Bow, Mesaverde, Vermejo, Fruit- 

 land, Raton, Laramie, Lance, Denver, Dawson, and Black Buttes floras. To my knowledge it 

 has never been reported in beds of indisputable Paleocene or later age. 



The generic reference of this species to Ficus has in no way been substantiated by my survey 

 of all species of this genus in the herbarium of The New York Botanical Garden. The general 

 shape, margin, and venation of the fossil leaves are, in my opinion, more likely menispermaceous, 

 yet I have been unsuccessful in finding a single species of this family in which the leaves are 

 basally decurrent. 



Occurrence — Corson Ranch, Wyoming, Locs. P. 371, P. 372; Craig, Colorado, Loc. P. 376. 



Collection—V. C. Mus. Pal., Plesiotypes Nos. 1323, 1324. 



Ficus crossii Ward 

 (Plate 7, Fig. 3) 



Ficus crossii Ward, U. S. Geol. Surv., 6th Ann. Rept., 552, pl. 44, fig. 7, 1886; idem, Bull. 37, 39, pl. 21, fig. 2, 

 1887; {not Knowlton, idem, Prof. Paper 130, pl. 11, fig. 2, which = Rhamnus goldianus). 



Cornus ernmonsii Ward (in part), U. S. Geol. Surv., 6th Ann. Rept., 553, pl. 47, fig. 3 only, 1886; idem, BuU. 37, 

 55, pl. 26, fig. 3 only, 1887. 



Cornus impressa Lesquereux. Knowlton, U. S. Geol. Surv. Bull. 163, 68, 1900. 



Cornus pradmpressa Knowlton, U. S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Paper 130, 159, pl. 14, fig. 5, pl. 19, fig. 2a, 1922; Brown, 

 U. S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Paper, manuscript, 1937. 



Rhamnites knowlloni Berry (in part), U. S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Paper 185-F, 131, pl. 26, fig. 1, 1934. 



Specimens of this type of leaf are not common but are usually rather well prcserved. The 

 specimen here figured is virtually complete in all details, which are similar to the specimens referred 

 to the 5 distinct species above. It should be pointed out that the figures of Ficus crossii and 

 Cornus emmon.sii were not correctly drawn nor properly restored, as has been previously noted by 



1 Knowlton, F. H., U. S. Geol. Surv. BuU. 163, 43, 1900. 



