300 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol.40. 



slightly longer than wide to those in which the length is about three 

 times the width. On the lower surface of the leaf on either side of the 

 midrib, commencing one-fifth of the distance to the margin and occu- 

 pying a width of one-fourth the distance to the margin, are the stom- 

 atal grooves. They are deeply sunken and appear to have been 

 floored with thin-walled cells not well preserved. There is some evi- 

 dence of the occurrence of a woolly scurf in these grooves, but the 

 preservation is such that tins can not be positively asserted. The 

 stomata were comparatively large and irregularly scattered in the floor 

 of the groove. They are without definite arrangement or orientation. 

 The guard cells are two in number, long, much curved, .and slender. 



This species is exceedingly common in the Patuxent formation of 

 Virginia, to which it appears to be confined in the Atlantic coastal 

 plain province. Although it has not yet been reported from the 

 Kootanie formation of the Montana area, it is present in both the 

 Lakota and Fuson formations of the Black Hills Rim and in the 

 Shasta beds of California. At no localities, however, is it as abundant 

 as in the lowest Potomac of Virginia. It is strikingly like the modern 

 Cephalotaxus in appearance and may also be compared with various 

 fossil species of Taxites. 



Occurrence. — Patuxent formation: Fredericksburg, near Dutch 

 Gap, and near Potomac Run, Virginia. 



Collections. — U. S. National Museum. 



CEPHALOTAXOPSIS BREVIFOLIA Fontaine. 



Cephalotaxopsis brevifolia Fontaine, Monogr. U. S. Geol. Surv., vol. 15, p. 238, 



pi. 105, fig. 3; pi. 106, fig. 5; pi. 107, fig. 5. 

 Cephalotaxopsis microphylla Fontaine, Monogr. U. S. Geol. Surv., vol. 15, 1890, 



p. 238, pi. 108, fig. 5; pi. 109, fig. 9. 



Description. — Ultimate branches alternate and rather slender. 

 Leaves distichous in habit, narrowly lanceolate, 7 mm. to 21 mm. in 

 length, averaging 10 mm. to 12 mm. Width 1 mm. to 3 mm., aver- 

 aging about 2 mm. Apex and base almost equally acute, the base 

 slightly less so. Texture coriaceous. Fontaine says of this species: 

 "Midnerve slender." It is, on the contrary, extremely broad, but 

 flat and not prominent. In the specimen which is Fontaine's, plate 

 106, figure 5, the midrib occupies one-fifth of the maximum width of 

 the leaf. This specimen exposes the upper surfaces of the leaves, in 

 consequence of which the midrib and stomatal bands are obscured. 



This species, which may simply represent certain terminal or abor- 

 tive shoots of the preceding, is not at all common and is confined to 

 the Patuxent formation of Virginia. It may be profitably compared 

 with some of the Mesozoic species of Taxites. 



Occurrence. — Patuxent formation: Fredericksburg, near Dutch 

 Gap, and near Potomac Run, Virginia. 



Collections. — U. S. National Museum. 



