Berry : Mesozoic flora of the coastal plain 259 



at all complete are figured on plate i8a and two modern leaves 

 are introduced for comparison. Possible arguments against the 

 present view may be based on the theory that the modern alate 

 petioles are derived from ancestors with compound leaves, in fact 

 some modern species still have trifoliolate leaves and if this were 

 true of the fossils as well it would require considerable rapidity of 

 evolution in this genus previous to the Mid-Cretaceous. The 

 modern leaves absciss from the top of the petiole and would be 

 unlikely to occur as fossils with the petiole attached, neither can 

 any indication of such an abscission line be made out in the fossils. 

 This is the most difficult argument to combat. However, modern 

 leaves are sometimes shed in their entirety and we are justified in 

 predicating the occasional fall of leaves before maturity when the 

 abscission layer of cells has not yet become weakened. The 

 agency might be violent winds, the passage of large animals like 

 some of the Cretaceous dinosaurs, or weakened conditions due to 

 insect or fungus diseases. 



Occurrence : South Amboy. 

 Collections i U. S. National Museum. 



Ilex amboyensis nom. nov. 



Ilex? ovata Nevvb, Fl. Amboy Clays (^%, pL i8, f. 2, 1896. 

 Not Goepp. 1852. 



Leaves small, broadly lanceolate, about 4 cm. in length by 2 

 cm. in breadth. Apex obtuse. Base narrowed and apparently 

 acute. Margin beset with small and large subacute teeth. Midrib 

 moderately stout and curved. Only a few secondaries are visible ; 

 these branch from the midrib at angles of about 45° and with but 

 slight curving run directly to the marginal teeth. 



This species was based on the single specimen figured by Pro- 

 fessor Newberry {loc. cit.) and no additional specimens have come 

 to light. Professor Newberry's name was a preoccupied one and 

 the present name is given in allusion to the general locality. 



Occurrence: Sayreville. 



Collections : N. Y. Botanical Garden. 



Pterospermites obovatus (Newb.) comb. nov. 



Protophyllunt 

 1896. 



X SS^ / 



