192 BerRRY: Mesozoic FLORA OF THE COASTAL PLAIN 
The existing species of Pisonta are numerous, inhabiting the 
tropics of both hemispheres, being largely developed in Central 
America and tropical South America, with several species in the 
West Indies and Antilles. Heimerl, in his treatment of the genus 
in Engler and Prantl’s Natiirlichen PAanzenfamilien, divides it into 
six sections, some of which should undoubtedly be given generic 
rank, in fact Britton proposes to segregate the West Indian and 
Antillean species to form the genus Zorruédza Vell., restricting 
Pisonia to the vines such as the type species, Prsonia aculeata L- 
However, in view of the foreign usage and what is more important, 
the geological considerations, which all point against following too 
closely systematists dealing only with the existing flora, especially 
when it is merely a question of the selection of a generic name 
among closely related modern forms, it is believed that a conserva- 
tive course is most desirable in dealing with the fossil forms and 
the present new species is therefore referred to Prsonza. 
Members of this genus are not rare as fossils, the oldest recorded 
species being based upon leaves from the Chlomeker sandstone 
near Leipa, Bohemia, and described by Velenovsky * as Pisonia 
atavia. These are of Upper Cretaceous, probably Cenomanian 
age, andif collected at a homotaxial horizon in this country would 
be referred to the genus Persoonia Swartz.+ No other Cretaceous 
leaves have been referred to Pisonza, although Lesquereux] referred 
the only American species heretofore described, Pisonia racemosa, 
to the Laramie. Five species are recorded from the European 
Tertiary from beds ranging in age from the Ligurian to the Sar- 
matian. The present species is extremely close to Pisonia cocenica 
Ettings. from the lignites of Haering in the Tyrol, where it is repre- 
sented by both leaves and fruit. 
OccurrENCE: Three miles below Dunbars Bridge, Tar River, 
Edgecombe County. 
JUGLANDALES 
Jucians arctica Heer, Fl. Foss. Arct. 6: 71. pl. go. f. 2 
pl. 41. f. ge; pl. 42. f. 1-3 ; pl. 43. f. 3. 1882 
This is another widespread Upper Cretaceous species which 
-* FI. Bohm. Kreideformation 4: 6. pl. 8 p. 13, 14. 1885. 
| Cf. Persoonia Lesquereuxii Knowlton, Mon. U. S. Geol. Surv. 17: 89. p/. 20- 
f. 10-12. 1892. 
t Lesquereux, Tert. Fl. 209. 2/7. 75. f. g. 1878. 
