434 Systematic Paleontology 



specimens. Leaves thick, keeled dorsally, ovate in outline, often broadly 

 so, acuminate, often slightly recurved, rather crowded and more or less 

 appressed but larger than and much more divergent than those of the 

 genera ArtJirotaxopsis or the Lower Cretaceous species of Widdring- 

 tonites. Phyllotaxy spiral. Cones small, globose or oblate spheroidal; 

 scales few in number, short and thick, truncate distally, becoming more 

 or less divergent with age. 



This species is very common at a large number of Lower Cretaceous 

 horizons in both Europe and America and it has also been recorded from 

 the Cenomanian in Portugal, Saxony, and Austria (Lesina). It is 

 present in the ISTeocomian of Portugal and Westphalia and doubtfully 

 in beds of this age in Eussia. It is present in the Wealden of England 

 and Germany, the latter being the type locality. It is also recorded from 

 the Barremian of Portugal and is probably present in the Kome beds 

 of Greenland. In this country it is recorded from the Kootanie of 

 Montana and the Euson formation of the Black Hills. It is a very 

 abundant form in the Potomac Group and occurs at numerous localities 

 ranging in age from the oldest or Patuxent beds to the youngest or 

 Patapsco beds, -a range similar to but somewhat less in time than that 

 ascribed to it in Portugal, where Saporta recognizes it from the Neoco- 

 mian to the Cenomanian. Some of the numerous specimens from the 

 Kome beds of Greenland, which Heer described first as Widdringtonites 

 gracilis * and afterwards as Cyparissidium gracile^ are probably identical 

 with 8phenolepis Kurriana (Dunker) Schenk although the cones ascribed 

 to the former differ from those of the latter. Heer notes the resemblance 

 between the remains of foliage of Cyparissidium, Widdringtonites, 

 Glypiostrobus, Arthrotaxis,i and Sequoia. 



Araucarites Jiamatus Trautschold which Seward {loc. cit.) doubtfully 

 includes in the synonymy is here excluded. There is some suggestion 

 of Sphenolepis in Trautschold^s figures but not enough for certainty. 

 These figures are, however, almost identical with the coniferous twigs 



^Heer, Fl. Foss. Arct., Band i, 1868, p. 83, pi. xliii, figs, le, f, g, 3c. 

 ^Heer, IMd., Band iii, Abth. ii, 1874, p. 74, pi. xvii, figs. 5b, c; pi. xix; pi. 

 XX, fig. le; pi. xxi, figs. 9b, lOd. 



