

XLV] ARAUCARITES 269 



included in Araucarites Sternbergii or A. Goepperti to those of 

 A. Cunninghamii and other species the probability of generic 

 identity is such as to justify the retention of the designation 

 Araucarites. 



Araucarites Haastii (Ettingshausen). 



Ettingshausen 1 described this species as Araucaria Haastii 

 from beds at Shag Point, New Zealand, believed to be of Eocene 

 age ; it is represented by sterile branches bearing crowded ovate- 

 lanceolate, acuminate, leaves apparently of leathery texture 

 reaching a length of 5 cm. and 2 cm. or less in breadth. As 

 Ettingshausen says, they agree very closely with the leaves of 

 Araucaria imbricata but like those of A. Nathorsti Dus. they have 

 a less spinous apex than in the recent species. Some petrified 

 wood from Malvern Hills in New Zealand is referred by Ettings- 

 hausen to the same species but without any evidence of con- 

 nexion between the wood and the foliage-shoots. The same 

 author describes a branch similar in habit to Araucaria excelsa, 

 from Shag Point, as Araucaria Danai 2 , but the specimen is too 

 imperfect to warrant the use of the designation Araucarites. 



Araucarites Nathorsti (Dusen). 



This species, described as Araucaria Nathorsti, is recorded by 

 Dusen 3 from Punta Arenas on the Magellan Straits : the age of the 

 beds is believed to be Oligocene though the precise horizon has 

 not been determined. The material consists of fragments of 

 foliage-shoots bearing short and relatively broad leaves of leathery 

 texture, varying from linear to ovate ; they agree closely with the 

 leaves of Araucaria imbricata, differing chiefly, as Dusen states, 

 in their blunter apices. 



Araucarites imponens (Dusen). 



Nathorst 4 first suggested a reference to Araucaria of the single 

 leaf on which this species was founded 5 : it was collected in a 

 marine volcanic tuff in Seymour Island and is probably of Lower 

 Tertiary age. The leaf is linear, 6 cm. long, and tapers gradually 

 towards an incomplete apex; it agrees in form and size with 



1 Ettingshausen (87) p. 154, PL n. 2 Ibid. p. 155, PL i. fig. 18. 



3 Dusen (99) p. 105, PL XH. 4 Nathorst (04 2 ) B. 



5 Dusen (08) p. 11, PL I. figs. 16, 17. 



