NO. 1141. FOSSIL CYC ADS FROM THE BLACK HILLS— WARD. 221 



are strongly declined. The latter are all on one side below the middle, 

 ajid in the case of certain abnormally small but strongly projecting 

 leaf bases there is the additional peculiarity that they are converted 

 into impure opal or blue ([uartz. No. 110 is also a. fine, nearly complete 

 trunk 41) cm. high, 42 by 30 cm. in diameter, 120 cm. in girth, and 

 weighs 85.73 kg. 



CYCADEOIDEA INGENS, new species. 



Trunks huge or colossal, ellipsoidal in form, thickest at the middle 

 part, diminishing and more or less rounded oft' at both base and sum- 

 mit, slightly elliptical or nearly circular in cross section, uubranched or 

 with a few small secondary axes in the form of protuberances, usually 

 of a dark color, hard consistency, and high specific gravity, attaining a 

 maximum height of 85 cm., girth of 170 cm., and weight of over 300 kg.; 

 organs of the armor slightly declined near the base, horizontal in the 

 middle portion, ascending above, and erect at the apex, producing a 

 laigc terminal bud consisting of the bases of somewhat liattened leaf- 

 like bracts or scales; leaf scars arranged in two sets of rows passing 

 s])irally round the trunk, intersecting each other, and forming each a 

 different angle with the axis, those passing from left to right forming an 

 angle of about 35° to 45°, while those passing from right to left form an 

 angle of 50° to 00°; scars large, 35 to 50 cm. wide, 20 to 35 cm. high, 

 peculiar in shape, the lateral angles drawn out into sharj) points by the 

 incuiving of the sides, the vertical consisting of mere curves, varying 

 from this to simple gibl)osity; leaf bases always present filling the 

 scars and often projecting, presenting either plane or slightly convex 

 surfaces; vascular bundles in one row closely set together and very 

 near the margin and an irregular ring at the center inclosing an empty 

 space; ramentaceous interspaces thin, 3 to 10 mm., scaly or laminated, 

 sunk below the leaf bases forming grooves on the surface of the trunk, 

 often white in color contrasting with other i)arts; reproductive organs 

 abundant especially in the upper part of the trunks, very different from 

 the leaf bases, usually large, elliptical, 5 to G cm. wide by 3 to 4 cm, 

 high, sometimes solid and projecting, but usually with an opening at 

 the top or cavitous and crater-like, surrounded hy numerous bract scars 

 filled with the bases of the bracts which are usually narrowly triangu- 

 lar or nearly flat; armor 5 to 10 cm. thick, more or less clearly marked 

 oft" from the underlying tissues; cortical parenchyma 3 to 4 cm. thick; 

 zone of secondary wood 4 cm.; medulla 10 to 20 cm. in diameter. 



A perfectly well characterized species, differing entirely from any of 

 those based on specimens from the Minuekahta region. It is also very 

 distinct from C.jenneyana^ which is the leading form of the Blackhawk 

 region. Still this species is also common there, and is represented in 

 the collection by eight specimens, namely, Nos. 92, 94, 99, 100, 103, 117, 

 122, and 123. No. 100 is taken as the type and is the next largest 

 cycadean trunk known in the world, weighing 303.91 kg. It slightly 

 exceeds in height the U. S. National Museum type of C. colossalis. 



