AaT.2l A PLEISTOCENE FLOBA PEOM TKINIDAD — ^BEBBT 5 



The genus has been present in equatorial America throughout the 

 Tertiary and probably earlier. A very similar form occurs in the 

 Miocene of Trinidad, and Engelhardt has described similar forms 

 from the Miocene of Colombia. 



Plesiotype.— Cat. No. 37020, U. S. N. M. 



Order MYRTALES 

 Family COMBRETACEAE . 

 Genus CONOCARPUS Linnaeus 



CONOCAEPUS ERECTUS Linnaeiu 



Plate 1, fig. 5 



There is no necessity to present a detailed description of these 

 leaves. I have seven specimens from the Oropouche beds all more 

 or Jess broken or distorted, but clearly belonging to the existing 

 species, with whose variations the agreement is exact. 



The single existing species in several varieties is a widespread 

 type of the mangrove association, as well as sandy shores on both 

 coasts of Central and South America, extending northward througli 

 the Antilles to the Florida keys, and through the agency of ocean 

 currents reaching Bermuda. It is also foimd on the west coast of 

 Africa in Guinea and Senegambia. 



The earliest apparent representative of the genus is a form from 

 the Tuscaloosa formation of Alabama described as Conocarpites 

 formosus.'^ A second fossil species is found in the coastal floras 

 of the lower Eocene Wilcox group ^ and a third occurs in the upper 

 Eocene Jackson group ^ in southeastern North America. A fruit 

 compared with Conocarpus has been described by Menzel * from the 

 lower Miocene of Europe. 



Plesiotype.—C&t. No. 37021, U. S. N. M. 



Family RHIZOPHORACEAE 

 Genus RHIZOPHORA Linnaeus 



RHIZOPHORA MANGLE Linnaeaa 



Plate 2, figs. 2, 4 



Leaves of the mangi^ove vie with those of Mimusops in the Oro- 

 pouche clays, some scores having been collected. When fragmentary 

 the two are distinguished with difficulty. 



» Berry, E. W., U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 112, p. 127, pi. 28, fig. 9, 1919. 

 » Berry, E. W., idem, 91, p. 325, pi. 95, figs. 1, 2, 1916. 

 •Berry, E. W., idem, 84, p. 147, pi. 29, figs. 4-7, 1914. 



♦ Menzel, P., Beitr. FI. Nlederrhein Braunkohlenformatlon, p. 63, pi. 5, figs. 17-21, 

 1913. 



9115—25 2 



