VON Ettingshausen. — Fossil Flora of New Zealand. 257 



Dammara oweni, s^d. uov. 



Plate XXIV., figs. 22-24; Plate XXV., fig. 3 ; Plate XXIX., figs. 13-15. 



D. foliis coriaceis ovalihus vcl oblongis, ohtusiusculis, 

 breviter petiolatis, hasi angustatis, enerviis, strobilis inagnis, 

 ovalibus, squamis ixirvis, tcnuitcr transverse carrnatis, obovato- 

 cnneatis, apicem versus incrassatis, apice obtusis. 



Localities : Shag Point ; Malvern Hills, I. (Canterbury 

 ^Museum and Otago Museum). [Ex Coll. Geol. Sm-v. 

 Otago, 1862 ; Hector. Geol. Surv. N.Z., Eep. 1872; v. Haast, 

 I.e. Geol. Surv. Canterbury ; v. Haast.] 



Of this species I have before me leaves, an impression of a 

 cone, and a scale of a cone. The former are of a leathery 

 texture. The leaf from Shag Point (fig. 24) is oblong, and 

 narrows towards both ends : it has a short stem, and the point 

 is somewhat blunt. The leaf (fig. 22) from the same locality 

 has a broad, somewhat oval form. These fossil leaves show 

 fine streaks along the leaf, but are without a mid-nerve. Be- 

 tween these lie some transition forms, but they belong cer- 

 tainly to one species, which I assign to the genus Dammara. 



This species is distinguished from D. nuintelU of the Chalk 

 tiora from Pakawau by the fact that the leaves have stems, 

 and that the leaves are less narrow towards the point. 



A Dammara cone-scale (fig. 23) was found at Shag Point 

 with these leaves ; I received the former from the Otago Uni- 

 versity Museum. The scale shows an inner surface ; it is 

 wedge-shaped, broad, and rounded at the upper part ; the 

 upper rim is a little thicker; the length is lomm., width 

 20mm. 



The cone-impression (PI. XXV., fig. 3) from Malvern Hills 

 pi-pcerved in the Canterbury Museum, at Christchurch, I ven- 

 ture to place with DamwMra. The whole length, at least 

 15cm., of the impression is preserved, with the exception of a 

 very small piece at the top which is wanting ; however, the 

 width, which has been possibly 10cm., is incomplete. The fine 

 coue was oval and was covered with proportionately small 

 scales, across each of which runs, near the middle, a small 

 ridge ; the scales are somewhat rounded near the upper part ; 

 the Dammara scale described agrees well with these scales, but 

 belongs to a larger cone ; the ridge mentioned is not visible, as 

 it only appears on the outer sm-face. As regards the size and 

 form of the leaves, and the size of the cone-scales of the 

 species described, these agree best with Dammara australis, 

 Lamb ; in consequence of this I have avoided separating their 

 fossil remains. The fossil species is distinguished from the 

 living one by the leaves, which do not adhere, and by the 

 larger cone. 



I received from the Canterbury Museum a specimen of 

 1 



