A Jacaranda from the. Pliocene of Brazil 



Edward W. Berry 



Some years ago the present writer, in collaboration with 

 Hollick, described 1 a considerable late Tertiary flora from 

 Bahia, Brazil, and it was concluded that the age was probably 

 Pliocene. I have recently received additional material from the 

 same region and among the novelties contained in the latter is 

 an undoubted species of the Bignoniaceous genus Jacaranda of 

 Jussieu. 



This may be called Jacaranda tertiaria and described as fol- 

 lows: 



Leaves odd-pinnate, elongate, linear in outline, at least 7 

 centimeters long and not over 2 centimeters wide, with a dis- 

 tinctly but not prominently alate stipe and at least 14 pairs of 

 leaflets. 



Leaflets small, opposite, diverging at wide angles, regularly, 

 spaced, somewhat rhomboidal in outline, widest toward the 

 base, more nearly equilateral toward the tip, which is obtusely 

 pointed. Base markedly inequilateral, the proximal side nar- 

 rowly straighter. Texture subcoriaceous. Margins entire. No 

 traces of pubescence. Length 6 to 7 millimeters. Maximum 

 width 2 to 3 millimeters. Midvein relatively stout and promi- 

 nent, approximately straight. Secondaries numerous, diverging 

 at wide angles, rather straight to the marginal region and rather 

 abruptly camptodrome. 



Fairly complete specimens of this interesting species are 

 available and there can be no doubt of its botanical identity. 

 When it comes to comparisons with individual existing species 

 of Jacaranda the relationships are not so clear. This is due to the 

 rather close similarity of several of the small leafed pinnate 

 forms, to considerable variations in the size of the leaves in 

 existing species, and to some extent to variations in form of the 

 leaflets, particularly as to the acuteness of the tips. 



Among the most similar existing species are Jacaranda bra- 

 siliana Persoon — a Campos undershrub, Jacaranda mimosae- 

 folia D.Don of southern Brazil and northern Argentina, and 



1 Hollick, A. and E. W. Berry, Johns Hopkins Studies in Geology, No. 5, 

 1924. 



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