118 



LAEAMIE FLOKA OF THE DENVER BASIN. 



however, and fail to show any very marked 

 characters. The specimen shown in Lesque- 

 reux's figure 2 is a ribbed, intranodal portion of 

 a stem about 4.5 centimeters long and 2 centi- 

 meters broad; it does not exhibit any of the 

 characters of the node or joint. The small 

 fragment just below it is without markings 

 except for the deep scar at one end. It is 

 wholly unconnected with the other fragments, 

 and there is no certainty that they were organ- 

 ically in union. The specimen of Lesquereux's 

 figure 1 appears to represent roots or under- 

 ground portions with scattered scars which 

 may indicate the origin of the rootlets, but this 

 point is obscure. Its connection with the 

 ribbed portion of the stem is purely conjec- 

 tural. 



• The material from Hoyt's mine, near Golden, 

 contains a single fragment of a ribbed stem like 

 that shown in Lesquereux's figure 2, but it is 

 even shorter than the one figured and shows 

 none of the nodal characters. A small stem 

 evidently referable to this form was con- 

 tained in the material from Mount Carbon, near 

 Morrison, but it adds nothing to our knowledge 

 of this plant. 



The question has arisen as to the propriety 

 of identifying these American plants with the 

 European Phragmites oeningensis. A com- 

 parison with the figures of the Old World form, 

 such as those of specimens from the Swiss 

 Miocene given by Heer, 52 discloses a strong 

 generic resemblance, and possibly there would 

 also be specific resemblance if the essential 

 characters of our specimens could be fully 

 made out. As already pointed out, no speci- 

 men appears to have been found which shows 

 the full node with its markings. The strong 

 ribs on the European specimens have usually 

 about six intermediate, much slenderer veins 

 between them. The Golden specimens are 

 preserved on a rather coarse grained rock which 

 obscures the intermediate veins, but so far as 

 Can be made out there are not more than three 

 between the strong ribs. In view of the strati- 

 graphic difference between these American and 

 the European specimens, it seems best not to 

 identify the Laramie forms with Phragmites 

 oeningensis. , 



Cockerell in 1909 separated the American 

 specimens, under the name Phragmites lara- 

 mianus. 



B Heer, Oswald, Flora tertiaria Helvetiae, vol. 1, pi. 24, 1855. 



Occurrence: Laramie formation, Golden, 

 Colo, [original Lesquereux specimens figured in 

 the "Tertiary flora" as P. oeningensis]; Hoyt's 

 coal mine, 1 mile south of Golden, Colo., col- 

 lected by Arthur Lakes, 1890; Mount Carbon, 

 Morrison, Colo., sandstone near coal seam, col- 

 lected by Arthur Lakes, 1890. 



Order HLIALES. 



Family SMILACEAE? 



Smilax? inquirenda Knowlton, n. sp. 



Plate IV, figure 5. 



Smilax f inquirenda Knowlton [nomen nudum], U. S. Geol. 

 Survey Bull. 696, p. 602, 1919. 



Leaf of medium size, apparently firm in tex- 

 ture, ovate, abruptly rounded to the slightly 

 heart-shaped base; apex destroyed; nervation 

 palmate, five-ribbed from the base of the blade, 

 midrib and next pair of ribs about equally 

 strong, the ribs passing up apparently to the 

 apex of the leaf; lower pair of ribs slenderer, 

 much curved upward, ending near or below the 

 middle of the leaf, secondary branches few, 

 thin, camptodrome. 



This leaf was probably about 7 centimeters 

 long when perfect and is 4.5 centimeters 

 wide. It may be known by its ovate-elliptical 

 outline, rounded, slightly heart-shaped base, 

 and five ribs, the three inner ones being of 

 nearly equal strength; these ribs pass up 

 nearly or probably quite to the apex of the 

 blade. The secondary and finer nervation is 

 obscure. 



Smilax grandifolia Unger, or 8. carbonensis, 

 as it has recently been named by Cockerell, 53 

 was reported by Lesquereux 54 from the Laramie 

 at the Franceville mines, near Colorado Springs, 

 but the material on which this determination 

 was based is not now available, nor is the 

 species contained in the recent collections from 

 that locality. The present leaf differs from 

 S. grandifolia in being narrower, less heart- 

 shaped at the base, and five instead of seven 

 ribbed; in fact, it is not certain that this leaf 

 is properly referable "to the genus Smilax. 



Occurrence : Laramie formation, Popes Bluff, 

 west of Pikeview, Colo. (sec. 14, T. 13, S., R. 

 67 W.). 



« Cockerell, T. D. A., Two new plants from the Tertiary of the West: 

 Torreya, vol. 14, p. 135, 1914. 



« Lesquereux, Leo, U. S. Geol. and Geog. Survey Terr. Ann. Rept. 

 for 1873, p. 393, 1875. 



