XLVIl] SEQUOIITES 349 



the main Island of Japan, recently described by Yasui 1 as Sequoia 

 hondoensis has the following characters: narrow annual rings, 

 tracheal pits usually uniseriate though often biseriate and opposite 

 on the broader tracheids, rims of Sanio present, medullary-ray 

 cells with oval bordered pits on the lateral walls but unpitted else- 

 where, resin-cells scattered through the spring- and summer-wood, 

 resin-canals present which are believed to be traumatic. The 

 occurrence of this wood according to the author of the species 

 'completes in an interesting way the evidence for the existence' 

 of Sequoia 'in Cenozoic times throughout temperate regions of 

 the whole northern hemisphere.' While it is probable that the 

 Sequoiineae were very widely spread in the Tertiary period it is 

 open to question if the anatomical evidence is sufficiently clear to 

 justify the reference of the Japanese wood to Sequoia. The chief 

 reason for the adoption of that generic name is the occurrence of 

 resin-canals similar to the traumatic ducts in the recent species. 



The following descriptions include fossils which cannot be re- 

 ferred to Sequoiites and others which may reasonably be so named. 



SEQUOIITES. Brongniart. 



Sequoiites problematica (Fliche and Zeiller). 



This species, originally described as Sequoia problematica 2 , is 

 founded on a small elliptical cone from Upper Jurassic rocks in the 

 Boulogne district: in the form of the scales, which show a ridge 

 extending from the edges of the distal surface to a central de- 

 pression in the middle of the cone-scales, the fossil suggests affinity 

 to the recent genus. Zeiller 3 also records a cone from Jurassic strata 

 in Madagascar associated with branches of the Brachyphyllum type 

 which he says presents all the characters of Sequoia. It must, how- 

 ever, be admitted that in both these cases close relationship to 

 Sequoia has not been demonstrated. 



Under the name Sequoia minor Velenovsky 4 describes specimens 

 from the Lower Cretaceous strata of Bohemia consisting of foliage- 

 shoots with small imbricate linear-lanceolate leaves and a small 

 terminal, spherical, cone the sporophylls of which have rhomboidal 

 distal ends and a central umbo: but as in most fossils referred to 

 Sequoia the evidence of generic affinity is inadequate. 



1 Yasui (17). 2 Fliche and Zeiller (04). 3 Zeiller (00). 



4 Velenovsky (87) p. 638, figs. 11, 12. 



