VON Ettingshausen. — Fossil Flora of Netc Zealand. 305 



right angles from the outside of the secondary nerves. The 

 reticuh^tion has not been preserved. 



The fossils described may best be compared with leaves of 

 Ccratopetalum, and they approach remarkably to C. mac- 

 donaldi, Ett., of the Australian Tertiary flora, on the one hand, 

 and to C. bilinicum, of the European Tertiary flora, on the 

 other. It is distinguished from both species principally 

 only by the secondary nerves, which are more distant from 

 each other. 



TiLIACEAE. 



Grewiopsis pakawauica, sp. uov. 



Plato XXXII., fig. 21. 



G. foliis parvis, coriaceis. ovatis, dense et inaquaUter 

 crenulatis, basi subtnincatis, apice acuviinatis ; nervatione sub- 

 actinodroma, nervo primario promincnte cxcurrentc, nervis basi- 

 laribus lateralibus 3-5, abbreviatis ; nervis secundariis panels 

 sub anrjulis 40°-50'^ orientibus, 8mm.-14mr,i. inter se distantibus, 

 craspedodromis, inferioribus extus ramosis, superioribus sivipli- 

 cibus vel furcatis ; nervis tertiariis tenuissimis, snb angulis 

 acutis emissis. 



Locality: Pakawau, Nelson (Canterbury Museum). [Ex 

 Coll. N.Z. Geol. Surv. ; Hector.] 



An ovate finely and unevenly notched leaf of firm con- 

 sistency, the surface of wdiich is peculiarly finely gibbous, and 

 from this we may conclude that it may have been provided 

 with a rough hairy covering. The nervation may be designated 

 as imperfectly radiate, in consequence of the radius-shaped 

 arranged but unequal basal nerves. The principal mid-nerve 

 is strongly pronounced, and runs out to the apex ; two basal 

 nervcc start from one side of it, and one from the other : these 

 are short, aiid provided with a few outer branches. The larger 

 of the lowest secondary nerves send off outer nerves, which 

 are stronger than those of the basal nerves. The remainder 

 of the secondary nerves, which start at acute angles, are 

 either simple or bifurcate, and they run in faint curves to 

 the notches of the edge. The tertiary nerves are very fine, 

 simple, and joined at acute angles. The reticulation is not 

 visible. 



The fossil leaf described agrees best in its characteristics 

 with Grewiopsis, and follows G. orbicidata. Sap., a species of 

 the fossil flora of Sezanne which has small leather j"- leaves of a 

 similar shape and nervation : these are however distinguished 

 from the New Zealand species by the different nature of the 

 edge and a smaller number of secondary nerves. Grewiopsis 

 haidenii, Lesq., from the Dakota group of the North American 

 Chalk flora, may be considered as a vicarious species. 

 20 



