A fossil Berberis 



T. I ). A. ( '(>< CBRELL 



Among the fossil plants found l>y Mr. Allan (apian in the 

 Miocene shales at Creede, ( olorado, is a small twig of typical 

 barberry, as distinguished from Mahonia or Odos teuton, to 

 which American Miocene fossils of this family have been re- 

 ferred. The accompanying figure from a photograph by my 



colleague Professor H. Rodeck, shows the characters well. The 

 actual length of the piece is 38 mm., and the simple spines (as in 

 various Asiatic species) are 8 mm. long, directed outward and 

 somewhat downward. I can almost exactly match the specimen 

 with a piece of Japanese barberry out of the garden. The species 

 may be called Berberis caplani, n. sp. 



Boulder, Colorado 



127 



