﻿GEOLOGY AND PALEONTOLOGY OF THE CANAL ZONE. 35 



America from the time of deposition of the Tuscaloosa sediments of 

 Alabama to the present. 



Occurrence. — Culebra formation, lower part, one-fourth mile south 

 of Empire Bridge (collected by D. F. MacDonald) U.S.G.S. 6837 : 



Type.— C&.t. No. 35312, U.S.N.M. 



Order GERANIALES. 



Family MALPIGHIACEAE. 

 Genus HIRAEA Jacquin. 



HIRAEA OLIGOCAENICA, new species. 



Plate 17, fig. 1. 



Desci'iption. — Leaves relatively large, ovate-lanceolate in outline, 

 falcate, with an equally cuneatly pointed apex and base. Margins 

 entire, evenly curved. Texture subcoriaceous. Length about 9.5 

 cm. Maximum width, at or somewhat below the middle, about 3.5 

 cm. Petiole short, stout, about 3 mm. in length. Midrib stout, flex- 

 uous. Secondaries thin, regularly spaced, about 9 pairs, prevailingly 

 alternate; they diverge from the midrib at angles of about 45° and 

 sweep upward in regular subparallel slight curves, and are campto- 

 drome in the marginal region. Tertiaries obsolete. 



This genus, which has well characterized leaves, has seldom been 

 recognized in the fossil state. One species ^ is not uncommon in the 

 lower Eocene of the Mississippi embayment, and Ettingshausen - 

 has recorded, but not described, a second species from the Ypresian 

 of Alum Bay, England. 



The existing species number between 25 and 30 and are exclusively 

 American, ranging from Mexico and the Antilles throughout Central 

 and northern South America to the Peruvian tropics. 



The present fossil species is not unlike Hiraea loilcoxlana Berry ^ 

 from the lower Eocene of Tennessee and is closely comparable with 

 the existing Hiraea clirysophylla Jussieu of the northern coastal re- 

 gion of South America. 



Occurrence. — Caimito formation 7 miles northeast of Bejuca 

 (U.S.G.S. station 6840) . Collected by D. F. MacDonald. 



Type.— C^i. No. 35313, U.S.N.M. 



Genus BANISTERIA Linnaeus. 



BANISTERIA PRAENUNTIA, new species. 

 Plate 17. fig. 2. 

 DescHption. — Leaves of medium size, broadly ovate in general out- 

 line, with an abruptly acuminate tip and a broad rounded or cuneate 

 base. Length about 8 cm. Maximum width, at or slightly above the 



1 Berry, E. W., U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 91, p. 257, pi. 57, fig. 8 ; pi. 109, fig. 6, 

 1916. 



2 Ettingshausen, C. von, Roy. Soc. London Proc, vol. 30, p. 235, 1880. 



3 U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 91, p. 257. 



