69 



Willdenow, 1799, as generally cited. The plant is now 



called Sieversia pentapetala (L.) Greene. 

 So far as I can see, none of the other changes offered by 

 Lamarck affect us today. 

 Boulder, Col. 



A MIOCENE ORONTIUM (ARACEAE) 



T. D. A. COCKERELL 



Orontium aquaticum L. is the only living member of an Ara- 

 ceous genus occurring in swamps from Massachusetts to Florida, 

 but not in the Western States. It was known to Catesby, and 

 was cited by Linnaeus from Virginia. The Japanese 0. japon- 

 icum of Thunberg is not congeneric. In the Miocene shales 

 of Florissant Colorado, at station 13, we have obtained a spadix 

 which is sufficiently characteristic to be referred to this genus. 

 The apex is missing but the part present is 20 mm. long and 5 

 wide, the individual flowers having a diameter of about 2.5 mm. 

 The portion of the scape present is about ';i)i^ mm. long, with a 

 diameter of 2.3 mm.; there is no evident thickening or flatten- 

 ing below the spadix. The last character is the only tangible 

 one separating the plant from the modern species. This fossil 

 may take the name Orontium fossile n. sp.; it adds one more to 

 the numerous examples of genera now existing in the Eastern 

 and southern states, but found in the Rocky Mountain Region 

 only in the fossil state. 



Orontium fossile Ckll. 



