No. 2363. FOSSIL PLANTS FROM DOMINICAN REPUBLIC— BERRY. 121 



The fossil species heretofore recognized include two from the Wilcox 

 Eocene, one from the Catahoula formation (Oligoccne) of Louisiana, 

 one from the supposed lower Miocene of Columbia, and two from the 

 Pliocene of Bolivia. The present species is most suggestive of P. 

 oligocaenum Berry, 3 from which it differs in its rounded base, its 

 sessile habit, and more numerous secondaries. 



Occurrence. — Locality No. 8684. Cut in clay near pier at Sanchez, 

 District of Samana. 



Holotype.— Cat. No. 35453, U.S.N.M. 



Family PAPILIONACEAE. 



Genus SOPHORA Linnaeus. 



SOPHORA COOKEI, new species. 



Plate 21, fit?. 12. 



Description. — Leaflets elliptical and slightly inequilateral in gen- 

 eral outline with an equally rounded apex and base, the latter slightly 

 the wider. Texture coriaceous. Length about 2.5 cm. Maximum 

 width, at or below the middle, about 13.5 mm. Leaflets sessile. 

 Midrib stout and prominent. Secondaries mediumly stout, five 

 subopposite to alternate pairs diverge from the midrib at wide 

 angles and form a wide camptodrome loop in the marginal region. 

 Tertiaries obsolete. Named for C. W. Cooke. 



This species is unfortunately based upon a single specimen, so 

 that the complete characters and limits of variation can not be 

 made out. It is exceedingly close to a number of previously de- 

 scribed forms from the Tertiary of the southern United States as 

 well as Europe, and to the leaflets of several existing species of the 

 American tropics, as for example, Sophora tomentosa Linnaeus, a 

 cosmopolitan tropical strand plant distributed through the agency 

 of ocean currents by means of its buoyant seeds. The present species 

 is similar to Sophora henry ensis Berry 3 and to the smaller leaflets 

 of the very abundant Sophora wilcoxiana Berry, 4 both species of 

 the Wilcox Eocene. It is also similar to Sophora claiborniana 

 Berry 5 of the Claiborne Eocene and to Sophora europaea Unger of 

 the later Tertiary of Europe. 6 



There are about 25 existing species of shrubs and small trees 

 referred to the genus Sophora, scattered in the warmer parts of both 

 hemispheres and found on all tropical seashores. 



Occurrence. — Locality No. 8564. Azua Province, Rio San Juan, 

 1 mile west of Los Bancos. 



Holotype.— Cat. No. 35454, U.S.N.M. 



» Berry, E. W., U. S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Paper 98M, p. 239, pi. 55, fig. 10, 1916. 

 » Berry, E. W., U. S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Paper 91, p. 243, pi. 52, fig. 2, J919. 



* Idem., p. 241, pi. 47, Ogs. 1-13. 

 » In press. 



• Unger, F. t Foss, Fl. v. Sotzka, p. 57, p. 42, figs. 1-5, 1850. 



