VON Ettingshausex. — Fossil Flora of New Zealand. 269 



Fagus ulmifolia, sp. no v. 



Plate XXVII., figs. 4, ia, 5. 



F.foUis membranaceis , breviter petiolatis, oblongis vel lan- 

 ceolatis, basi rotundatis vcl obtusiusculis, apicc angustatis 

 acutis acuminatisve, margino irregulariter vcl dujAicato-dentatis ; 

 nervatione craspedodroma, nervo primario prominente recto ; 

 iiervis secundariis numcrosis approximatis , sub ctngulis 40^-50'^ 

 oricntibus, distinctis, rcctis vel paullo arcuatis, simplicibus , 

 rarius furcatis ; nervis tertiariis tcnuissimis rectaiujularibus, 

 ramosis, inter se conjunctis ; reticido obsolcto. 



Localities : Shag Point ; Waugapeka (?) (Canterbury Mu- 

 seum). [Ex Coll. Geoi. Surv. N.Z., 1862-1867 ; Hector.] 



A series of fossil leaves from Shag Point made it possible for 

 me to obtain elucidation not only as regards the genus to 

 which they belong, but also as regards the circle of forms of 

 the species. The leaves are of delicate texture. They have 

 a short stem ; they are oblong or lanceolate. At the first 

 glance the leaves might be taken for those of Ulntiis in conse- 

 quence of the irregular edge, which is partly biserrate, and 

 also because of the crowded parallel secondary nerves, which 

 are slightly curved in a bow-like form. The base of the leaves 

 is, however, not oblique as in Ulmus, but symmetricall}' 

 rounded off, the point sometimes more, sometimes less, drawn 

 forward. The serrations are very small ; they stand a little 

 outwards, and are directed forwards ; the biserrate edge, where 

 it can be traced, is not distinctly defined, and becomes gra- 

 dually irregular. The primary nerve is not pronounced, but 

 is most prominent at the base, where it springs out of a 

 petiole, which is 4mm. long. The secondary nerves, which 

 start at acute angles, are rather delicate, seldom straight, 

 mostly somewhat converging and bent towards the edge ; they 

 are either undivided or now and then bifurcate ; they end 

 usually in the points of the serrations, or sometimes in the 

 sinuations. The latter has never been observed in TJlmus, but 

 it is normal in some species of Fagus. A leaf, which is at the 

 base almost heart-shaped, has on the lowest tertiary nerves 

 a development of outer nerves which are not pronounced. 

 The reticulation is not preserved. The tertiary nerves, which 

 are very delicate and close together, start frorii both sides of 

 the secondary nerves at right angles ; the tertiary nerves are 

 only partly preserved in a few fossils. I have a leaf before 

 me from Wangapeka, which I cannot classify here with cer- 

 tainty, as the state of its preservation leaves much to be 

 desired. 



The comparison of these leaf-fossils with corresponding 

 forms of living species demonstrates that here the genus Fagus 

 only can be accepted. Two species, F. proccra, Poepp. et 



