266 AEAtrCARINEAE [CH. 



impressions of vegetative branches to the genus Araucarites solely 

 on the ground of similarity in habit and leaf -form to the i'ecent 

 genus is not in accordance with sound principles, though in some 

 instances the implied relationship may be a reality. Pending 

 more satisfactory evidence many of the sterile Araucaria-]ike 

 shoots are referred to Pagiophyllum, while branches of similar 

 habit bearing oval cones are included in the genus Elatides. 



An example of a Palaeozoic fossil which has been assigned to 

 Araucarites on slender grounds is afforded by Araucarites Oldhami 

 Zeiller. 



Araucarites Oldhami Zeiller. 



The specimen from the Lower Gondwana rocks in India to 

 which this name is applied^ consists of an axis bearing spirally 

 disposed lanceolate-acuminate leaves reaching 4-5 cm. in length, 

 slightly contracted at the base and longitudinally striated: 

 portions of the axis show rhomboidal and feebly convex areas 

 separated by narrow scars where the laminae have been broken off. 

 As Zeiller says, the resemblance of the shoot to a branch of Arau- 

 caria imbricata is very close, but considering the age of the beds 

 and the absence of any Araucarian cone-scales from rocks at this 

 horizon in India it is questionable whether it is wise to adopt 

 the name Araucarites. It is not unlikely that a small specimen 

 figured by Feistmantel^ from the Karharbari coal-field as possibly 

 a Fern rhizome is a portion of a leafless axis of Zeiller's species. 



Araucarites ovatus Hollick. 



This species from Cretaceous strata in New Jersey^ is founded 

 on fragments of sterile branches bearing elliptical-ovate leaves 

 resembling the foliage of Araucaria imbricata and the fossil species 

 Araucarites NatJiorsti Dus. A very similar type is represented by 

 Araucarites bladenensis, described by Berry* as Araucaria bladen- 

 ensis, from the Upper Cretaceous rocks of Carolina and Alabama : 

 the leaves are decurrent, ovate-lanceolate, about 1-6 by 0-8 cm. 

 with a cuspidate apex and rounded base ; there are 14 — 16 parallel 



1 ZeiUer (02) B. p. 36, PI. vn. fig. 6. ^ Feistmantel (79^) PI. xm. fig. 6. 



3 HoUick (97) p. 128, PI. xn. figs. 3 a, i. 



' Berry (08) p. 255, Pis. xii.— xiv.; (14) pp. 19, 105, PI. ra. figs. 6, 7; PL xix. 

 figs. 1, 2. 



