366 Prof, von Ettingshausen — Netv Zealand Fossil Flora. 



the former have already been taken into consideration in the preceding 

 exposition, I proceed now to explain the results of my investigations 

 of the fossil Flora of the Cretaceous formation. 



The Cretaceous Flora of New Zealand has up till now been col- 

 lected from four localities, as, Pakawau, Grey Eiver, Wangapeka 

 and Eeefton. It contains 37 species, distributed into 29 genera and 

 17 families. Of these species 4 are Cryptogamse, 8 Coniferse, 4 

 Monocotyledons, 13 Apetalse, and 8 Dialypetalse. The Gamopetalse 

 are wanting here. Several species seem to be the ancestors of 

 Tertiary ones, particularly of the genera Aspidium, Podocarpus, Da- 

 cnjdium, Quercus, Fagus, Cinnamomum, Dnjandr aides, Ceratopetalum, 

 Cupanoides, etc. According to the closer relationship of some of 

 these species to Tertiary ones, we may refer the above-mentioned 

 localities to the Upper Cretaceous formation. 



I. Pakawau, Nelson, the richest locality of the four, contains well- 

 preserved fossil plants. Its flora is characterized by species of ferns 

 exhibiting the fades of Cretaceous ferns ; by the genera of Coniferse 

 Podocarpium and Dacrydinium ; by a peculiar genus of Musacese, 

 Saastia, related to Musophyllum ; by Ulmophylon, a genus comprising 

 the ancestor-species of Tertiary Ulmus and PZanej-a-species ; by a 

 Dryopliyllum and by a Greiviopsis-sipecies analogous to species of the 

 American Cretaceous formation ; and by species of Cinnamomum and 

 Dryandroides, corresponding to European Cretaceous species. There 

 have also been found a Bambusea, a Casuarinites, a peculiar Fagus- 

 species and a Cupanites. 



II. Gery Eiver, Westland, a locality which offers many but not such 

 well-preserved fossils. There have been disvovered a Flahellaria, 

 related to F. longirliachis, Ung., from the Cretaceous beds of Muth- 

 mannsdorf, Austria ; two species of Quercus, one species of Celastro- 

 pJiyllum and one species of Palmocassia, all corresponding to species 

 of the Cretaceous Flora ; a Palhergiophyllum reminds us of a Dalbergia- 

 species of the same flora. There also have been found, a KnigJitio- 

 pJiyllum and a Ceratopetalum, both peculiar to this locality, whilst a 

 Bambusea, a Casuarinites and a Cupanites, which also occur at the 

 former locality, have been collected. 



III. Wangapeka, Nelson, showing a flora which agrees with that 

 of the preceding localities, inasmuch as some of its species are com- 

 mon to the latter. Of the several forms of fossil plants peculiar to 

 this locality, the following are worthy of notice : Two genera of 

 Coniferse, the one intermediate between CepJtalotaxus and Torreya, 

 the other uniting Ginkgo with Phyllocladus ; two Quercus, one Fagus 

 and one i^/cws-species, all corresponding to Cretaceous forms ; a Sapin- 

 dophjllum analogous to Sapindus prodromus, Heer, from the Cretaceous 

 strata of North Greenland ; a Balbergiophyllum and a Poacites. 



IV. Eeefton, Nelson. — Only Casuarinites Cretaceous has been found 

 bere, a species which also occurs at Pakawau and at Grey Eiver. 



The collections of Sir Julius von Haast and Prof Parker also con- 

 tain numerous fossil plants from localities which I refer to much 

 lower Mesozoic strata. They are Mount Potts, Haast Gully, Malvern 

 Hills II., Mataura and Waikawa. A greater difference of age of 

 these localities is excluded by some common species which they 



