396 Systematic Paleontology 



This form which is of rare occurrence is possibly not specifically dis- 

 tinct from B. crassicaule Font., which in turn is very closely allied to 

 various European forms. It may be distinguished, however, from the 

 preceding species by its slender branches which rarely fork and then 

 in an apparently dichotomous manner (this is only apparent, however, 

 and not real dichotomy) and by its more regular, pointed, slightly 

 keeled leaves. The specimens from Glen Rose, Texas, described as new 

 by Prof. Fontaine are not distinguishable from the Maryland and Vir- 

 ginia specimens of B. parceramosum. 



B. parceramosum is retained as a distinct species because of the incon- 

 clusive nature of the material and because it occurs in beds of somewhat 

 greater age than B. crassicaule, and because in habit it more nearly 

 resembles the less branched Jurassic types rather than the more regularly 

 and pinnately branched Cretaceous types; the later type culminating in 

 the type of BrachypliyUum macrocarpum of the Upper Cretaceous. The 

 great similarity among all of the species in this genus, when studied as 

 poorly preserved impressions, tends to enforce caution on the student 

 who would unite under one name forms which appear to be similar 

 but which are widely separated either geologically or geographically. The 

 European representative of B. parceramoswm is B. ohesiforme elongatum 

 Sap. which occurs in the Albian of Portugal. 



Occurrence. — Patuxent Formation. Telegraph Station (Lorton), 

 Virginia; Kew Reservoir, D. C. Arundel Formation. Arlington, 

 Maryland. 



Oollection. — U. S. National Museum. 



Family ARAUCARIACEAE 



Genus ARAUCARITES Presl 

 [In Sternb., Fl. Vorwelt, fasc. ii, 1833, p. 203] 



This genus is characterized in the following terms by its describer : 

 " Strobilus ovalis, rotundato-obtusus, squamis densissimis Rami sparsi, 

 subdichotomi. Folia imbricata, parva, crassiuscula. Strobilus unius 

 speciei hucusaue notus multo minor illis specierum viventium, attamen 



