Marylaxd Geological Survey 383 



conclusive. Araucaria has markedly decurrent leaves and this character 

 also cannot be demonstrated for Xageiopsis although as the writer lias 

 elsewhere shown, there is some evidence for both this and the preceding 

 character in some of the specimens. Taking into account all of the 

 facts obtainable the reference of Xageiopsis to the Podocarpeae seems 

 reasonably well established, although the possibility of their relation- 

 ship vrith the Araucarieae should be kept in mind. 



The existing species of Podocarpus comprise about two score forms 

 and they are as dominant representatives of the Coniferales in the 

 Southern Hemisphere as are the pines in the Xorthern. They extend 

 northward to China and Japan through the East Indian region and 

 have representatives in all three of the great Southern land masses. 

 This peculiar distribution in itseK may be considered as an indication 

 of an extensive geological history, although the records of this history 

 are not nearly as complete as they are for many other genera. To 

 summarize briefly there are fifteen or more described species coming 

 chiefly from the European Tertiary and one of these has been doubt- 

 fully recognized by Lesquereux in this country at Florissant, Col. 

 The extra- American distribution includes Eocene species in England. 

 Scotland, France, Italy and Australia; Oligoeene species in France. 

 Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Styxia, Tyrol and Greece; Miocene species 

 in France, Styria and Croatia; and Pliocene species in Italy. The 

 descendants of Xageiopsis have not, however, been recognized in later 

 American deposits. 



The comparison of Xageiopsis with Podocarpus is more especially 

 with the section Xageia, one of the four sections into which Eichler 

 (id Engler and Prantl) divides Podocarpus. Xageia, formerly regarded 

 as a distinct genus, has a broad form, numerous parallel veins and lacks 

 a midrib, the latter being present in the other three sections of the 

 genus. It may be questioned whether the reduction of Gaertner's genus 

 to a section of Podocarpus L'Herit.. as clearly expresses the natural 

 facts as they would be emphasized by its retention as a distinct genus. 

 Nageia has about a dozen species ranging from Japan southward to the 

 East Indies and Xew Caledonia. 

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