266 



ARAUCARINEAE 



impressions of vegetative branches to the genus Araucarites solely 

 on the ground of similarity in habit and leaf-form to the xecent 

 genus is not in accordance with sound principles, though in some 

 instances the implied relationship may be a reality. Pending 

 more satisfactory evidence many of the sterile Araucaria-like 

 shoots are referred to Pagiophyllum, while branches of similar 

 habit bearing oval cones are included in the genus Elatides. 



An example of a Palaeozoic fossil which has been assigned to . 

 Araucarites on slender grounds is afforded by Araucarites Oldhami 

 Zeiller. 





Araucarites Oldhami Zeiller. 



The specimen from the Lower Gondwana rocks in India to 

 which this name is applied 1 consists of an axis bearing spirally 

 disposed lanceolate-acuminate leaves reaching 4*5 cm. in length, 

 slightly contracted at the base and longitudinally striated: 

 portions of the axis show rhomboidal and feebly convex areas 

 separated by narrow scars where the laminae have been broken off. 

 As Zeiller says, the resemblance of the shoot to a branch of Arau- 

 caria imbricata is very close, but considering the age of the beds 

 and the absence of any Araucarian cone-scales from rocks at this 

 horizon in India it is questionable whether it is wise to adopt 

 the name Araucarites. It is not unlikely that a small specimen 

 figured by Feistmantel 2 from the Karharbari coal-field as possibly 

 'a Fern rhizome is a portion of a leafless axis of Zeiller's species. 



Araucarites ovatus Hollick. 



This species from Cretaceous strata in New Jersey 3 is founded 

 on fragments of sterile branches bearing elliptical-ovate leaves 

 resembling the foliage of Araucaria imbricata and the fossil species 

 Araucarites Nathorsti Dus. A very similar type is represented by 

 Araucarites bladenensis, described by Berry 4 as Araucaria bladen- 

 ensis, from the Upper Cretaceous rocks of Carolina and Alabama : 

 the leaves are decurrent, ovate-lanceolate, about 1-6 by 0-8 cm. 

 with a cuspidate apex and rounded base ; there are 14 16 parallel 



1 Zeiller (02) B. p. 36, PL vn. fig. 6. 2 Feistmantel (79 2 ) PI. xra. fig. 6. 



3 Hollick (97) p. 128, PL xn. figs. 3 a, 4. 



4 Berry (08) p. 255, Pis. xn. xiv.; (14) pp. 19, 105, PL in. figs. 6, 7; PL xix. 

 figs. 1, 2. 



