Persea. LAURIN EZE. 19 
joined by very thin nervilles. The petiole seems to become inflated a 
little below the base of the leaves, as seen in Fig. 11, the only speci- 
men where the petiole is preserved. 
There is no fossil species to which these leaves may be compared, for 
a close relation, at least. They have the same nervation as [cus plan- 
costata of Golden, whose young leaves, of about the same size, have also 
somewhat thin primary and secondary nerves. But the form of the 
leaves is different, and the distinct veinlets, mostly parallel, simple, and 
thin, are of another character. 
Habitat. — Table Mountain, Tuolumne County, California. Voy’s Collec- 
tion. 
LAURINEZ. 
PERSEA, Garr. 
Persea pseudo-Carolinensis, sp. nov. 
PE Pee) ee 
Leaves coriaceous, comparatively large, oblanceolate, obtusely pointed, gradually nar- 
rowed to the petiole; lateral nerves on an acute angle of divergence, curving to 
and following the borders in long series of anastomosing bows. 
The two fragments representing this fine species present quite dis- 
tinctly the details of nervation and of areolation. The lateral’ nerves, 
on a very acute angle of divergence at the base, become by and by 
more open toward the top of the leaves, gradually curve upwards, and 
follow the borders high above in a long series of simple festoons. The 
thick fibrille, branching in the middle of the areas, or anastomosing 
with short tertiary veins, compose, by the first divisions, large, irregularly 
square or equilateral areola, and by subdivisions mostly in right angle, 
constitute an ultimate reticulation of very small round polygonal meshes. 
This kind of nervation refers these leaves to Persea, and indeed, by com- 
parison with those of P. Curolinensis, Nees, of the present North American 
flora, the analogy of form and of all the characters is seen to be very 
close. Generally the lower veins of P. Carolinensis are at a more open 
angle of divergence, and the size of the leaves is smaller. They vary 
considerably, however, even upon the same branch, and leaves are not 
uncommonly seen with the basilar nervation precisely similar to that of 
Fig. 1, while others are found as large, still larger than the fossil one. 
