﻿38 BULLETIN 103, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



mum width, midway between the apex and the base, about 4.5 cm. 

 Width on one side of the midrib 21.5 mm., on opposite side 24 mm. 

 Petiole missing. Midrib flexuous, stout, and prominent. Secondaries 

 stout, regularly spaced, mostly immersed, about 7 alternate pairs 

 diverge from the midrib at angles of about 50°, curving upward 

 subparallel and camptodrome in the marginal region. Tertiaries 

 mostly obsolete, a few percurrent ones seen. 



This large and striking leaf is referred to the sapindaceous genus 

 SchTTiidelia^ which comprises about 100 existing species of the equa- 

 torial regions of both hemispheres with unifoliate or palmately com- 

 pound leaves. About half of the species are American where they 

 are confined to the Antilles, Central, and tropical South America. 

 They are sometimes referred to the genus Allophyliis Linnaeus (as 

 by Radlkofer) and with the exception of this genus all of the mem- 

 bers of the tribe Thouinieae are confined to America. Fossil repre- 

 sentatives have been unknown except for the petrified wood from 

 the Oligocene of the island of Antigua which Felix described as 

 Schmideliopsis.^ 



Occurrence. — Culebra formation. East wall of Gaillard Cut just 

 north of station 1760 (collected by M. I. Goldman). 



Caimito formation, 7 miles northeast of Bejuca (U.S.G.S. 6840). 

 Collected by D. F. MacDonald.) 



Type.— C2it No. 35315, U.S.N.M. 



Order THYMELEALES. 



Family LAURACEAE. 

 Genus MESPILODAPHNE Nees. 



MESPILODAPHNE CULEBRENSIS, new species. 

 IMiite 17, fig. 3. 



Description. — Leaves lanceolate-falcate in general outline, with 

 acuminate apex and base. Margins entire. Texture subcoriaceous. 

 Length about 10 cm. Maximum width, in the middle part of the 

 leaf, about 2.5 cm. Petiole missing. Midrib stout, curved, prominent 

 on the under surface of the leaf. Secondaries stout, remote, regu- 

 larly spaced, nine or ten subopposite to alternate pairs, they diverge 

 from the midrib at angles of about 65 degrees and are conspicuously 

 camptodrome close to the margins. Tertiaries obscured by the poor 

 preservation of the material. 



The present species resembles numerous existing and fossil species 

 of Lauraceae, from all of which, however, it appears distinct. It is 

 similar to Mespilodaphne columhiuna Berry of the Upper Claiborne 

 of the Mississippi embayment, but is a stouter, more falcate, shorter, 

 and less acuminate form. 



1 Felix, J., Die fossile HSlzer Westindiens, p. 16, pi. 2, figs. 6. 8. 1883. 



