TERTIARY PLANTS FROM VENEZUELA BERRY 357 



Mid vein stout, channeled on upper surface, prominent on lower 

 surface. Secondaries thin, immersed in the leaf substance; they 

 are numerous and subparallel, diverging from the mid vein at angles 

 of 70° to 80°, pursuing almost straight courses, and are abruptly 

 camptodrome within the margins. Tertiary venation obsolete. 



Leaves of this sort are represented in many families, notably in 

 the Moraceae and Apocynaceae and by such genera as Ficus, Alla- 

 nianda^ and Plumeria. After extended comparisons with recent 

 material I find the fossil leaves to be most like the leaves of Achras^ 

 especially A. chicle Pittier of Guatemala and A. calcicola Pittier of 

 the rain forest of Panama. These two are much closer than the 

 leaves of South American species of Achras that I have seen. 



Occurrence. — La Victoria-Catanaja Road, about 21/2 kilometers 

 Borth of La Victoria, District of Miranda, State of Zulia. 



Type.— V.S.N. M. no. 39307. 



Order Gentialales 



Family APOCYNACEAE 



Genus APOCYNOPHYLLUM Unger 



APOCYNOPHYLLUM SALVADORENSIS Berry 



Apocynophyllum salvadorensis Bekky, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 59, p. 579, 

 pi. 107, fig. 6, 1921. 



This species was based upon three specimens collected by C. F. 

 Bowen in 1919 from the sandy clays 21/2 miles northwest of La 

 Salvadora, Venezuela. It was described as follows : 



Leaves linear-lanceolate in outline, about 13 cm in length and 

 2.4 cm in maximum width, with a somewhat narrowed rounded base. 

 Apex missing, so that the total length as given may be slightly 

 overestimated. Margins entire, even. Petiole missing. Mid rib 

 thin on upper surface of leaf, stout and prominent on lower surface. 

 Secondaries numerous, thin, regularly spaced, subparallel, and 

 camptodrome. 



This species is of a somewhat uncertain botanical affinity, since 

 it exhibits no conclusive diagnostic characters. It approaches near- 

 est to the various fossil species that have been referred to the form 

 genus ApocynophylJmn and that suggest various existing tropical 

 g:enera of the family Apocynaceae, such as Plumeria, Prestonia., 

 and Thevetia. This same species is contained in later collections 

 from Venezuela. 



Occurrence.— P2i\n\2iVQ]o.i District of Mara, State of Zulia; El 

 Mene, District of Acosta, State of Falcon; near La Salvadora, State 

 of Trujillo. 



