VON Ettingshausen. — Fossil Flora of Neio Zealand. 261 



elongated, lanceolate or broad - linear, with parallel nerves; 

 the mid-nerve does not project. Fig. 3 is a fragment of the 

 lowest rhizome-stem, on which appear freqnently the cross- 

 wrinkles and scars : this stem left behind a thick coal sub- 

 stance. Fig. 2 represents an upper portion of the stem, 

 which has knots placed some distance from each other ; the 

 wrinkles and scars above referred to are however wanting in 

 the part represented by fig. 2. The flat impression, the very 

 thin coal-deposit on it, and the delicate longitudinal stria?, 

 often intersected by cross-stripes, indicate a soft herbaceous 

 nature. Fig. 1 represents a fragment of the long, broad- 

 linear leaf of this species of Gaiclmites. Judging from the 

 nature of the impression, the leaf must have been soft and 

 succulent. 



These remains are not materially distinguished by their 

 properties from the species of Ccmlimtes of the European 

 Tertiary flora ; indeed, they approach very closely to one 

 species of the same — viz., C. radobojaniis. Suitable material 

 is, however, w^anting in order to establish the exact relation- 

 sliip of both species. 



Palm^. 

 Seaforthia zeelandica, sp. nov. 



Plate XXIV., fig. 25. 



*S'. foliis maximis, ])innis crecto-patentibus , validis, Litis, 

 rhachis crassissima parte marginaliinfcriore adnatis, basi sitb- 

 attenuatis ; nervis primariis 5-7, incequalibus, interstitialcs 

 plurcs includentihus . 



Locality : Kawarau Basin, Dunstan (Otago Museum). 

 [Ex Coll. Geol. Surv. Otago, 1864 ; Hector.] 



A fragment of a very large leaf of a pinnate palm ; the 

 whole width of the spindle is not before me, but it must have 

 been at least 4cm.-5cm. The spindle is ribbed longitudinally; 

 on its under surface, next to the edge, are the strong piimic 

 joined at acute angles. The pinnos are at least 4cm. wide ; 

 they become narrower towards the base, where they stand 

 out somewhat convex. The nervation of the pinna? shows 

 several principal nerves, which stand out unequally, and 

 between these are several delicate longitudinal nerves. 1 have 

 before me a second fragment of a leaf of this species, which 

 shows, however, no spindle but only a pinna on w'hicli the 

 nervation is better preserved than on the first-mentioned frag- 

 ment, from which the above description was made. A conipari- 

 son of the fossil described with living palms pointed to Seafor- 

 thia robusta, R. Brown, a splendid Australian palm, the leaves 

 of w'hich show a similar junction of very strong pinmc to a 

 strong spindle, and also a similar nervation. The leaf of this 



