ArT.19. MIOCENE PLANTS FROM SOUTHERN MEXICO—BERRY. 23 
Occurrence.—8 km. west of Palomares at the head of Arroya 
Zapote, State of Oaxaca. 
Holotype.—Cat. No. 36836, U.S. N. M. 
MELASTOMITES OBOVATUS, new species. 
Plate 6, fig. 6. 
Leaves relatively short and broad, obovate or subelliptical and 
somewhat inequilateral in general outline; with broadly rounded 
apex and slightly narrowed base. Margins entire. Texture sub- 
coriaceous. Length about 4.5 cm. Maximum width about 2 cm. 
Apparently sessile. Primaries five, thin, subequal, diverging from 
the base of the leaf at acute angles and acrodrome; the outer ones 
marginal; connected by nearly straight, transverse nervilles. 
This species is based upon a sparse amount of material rather in- 
differently preserved, but it shows clearly the characters of the leaves 
of this large, tropical, and mostly American family. Its exact generic 
relationship is uncertain, and like the preceding lanceolate species it 
is referred to the form genus Melastomites. 
Occurrence.—Isthmian railroad ? km. north of Palomares on the 
Saravia estate, State of Oaxaca; 14 km. west of the telegraph station, 
San Jose del Carmen, State of Vera Cruz. 
Holotype.—Cat. No. 36837, U.S. N. M. 
Order GENTIANALES. 
Family APOCYNACEAE. 
Genus APOCYNOPHYLLUM Unger. 
APOCYNOPHYLLUM MEXICANUM, new species. 
Plate 4, fig. 2. 
Leaves oblong-lanceolate in outline, more tapering distad than 
proximad. Apex more acute than the base. Margins entire, full and 
evenly rounded. ‘Texture coriaceous. Length about 12 cm. Maxi- 
mum width about 3.2 cm. Petiole missing. Midrib very stout and 
prominent. Secondaries relatively thin, numerous, widely spaced; 
about 12 pairs diverge from the midrib at wide angles of about 65°, 
are relatively straight for two-thirds of the distance to the margins, 
and then curve rapidly upward and are camptodrome; the lower ones 
arching along the margins from the ends of the percurrent tertiaries; 
the upper ones more abruptly camptodrome. Tertiaries mostly 
obsolete. 
In so far as the present species furnishes diagnostic characters 
these indicate the family Apocynaceae, but, as is commonly the case 
among the members of this family, generic characters are not clearly 
differentiated in the leaves. The species is hence referred to the con- 
