402 



MEMOIRS or THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN 



sion or suggestion in regard to its apparent specific relation- 

 ships would not seem to be of any value. 



Genus Quercus Linnaeus 



Quercus kootenayensis n. sp. 



Plate 32, figure 4 



Leaf somewhat bent or curved to one side, about 8 centi- 

 meters in length by 6 centimeters in maximum width, appar- 

 ently oblong-ovate in shape, with a rounded-truncate base ; mar- 

 gin wavy or broadly crenate-dentate ; midrib relatively slender, 

 and curved in conformity with the curvature of the leaf ; nerva- 

 tion simply pinnate ; secondary nerves irregularly disposed, sub- 

 parallel, each terminating in one of the marginal dentitions, 

 those on the convex side of the leaf subtending angles of about 

 45° with the midrib, those on the concave side subtending angles 

 somewhat more obtuse. 



I have not been able to match this leaf satisfactorily with 

 leaves of any existing or fossil sj^ecies of oak, although its refer- 

 ence to the genus Quercus appears to be correct. In connection 

 with its marginal characters it is suggestive of the existing 

 eastern North American species Quercus Prinus Linnaeus ; but 

 leaves of that species are always more or less narrowed to cune- 

 ate bases, whereas the base of our specimen is rounded-truncate. 

 The general type of oak leaf "with which ours may be somewhat 

 more closely compared is rei)resented by the Mexican species 

 Q. tepicana Trelease ; but the resemblance between them may be 

 regarded merely as suggestive of possible closer relationship 

 with the oaks of the southwest than with any of the eastern 

 species. 



Leaves referred to Q. Prinus were described and figured by 

 Berry^^ from the Pleistocene of Alabama and North Carolina, 

 and certain of the figures last cited {loc. cit., figs. 6, 7) are sug- 

 gestive of our specimen ; but in each instance the narrower base 

 serves to differentiate them. 



A fossil leaf that bears a somewhat closer resemblance to 

 ours, from the Pliocene of Italy, was described and figured by 



22 Berry, E. W. (a) Pleistocene plants from Alabama. Amer. Naturalist, 

 vol. 41, p. 693, pi. 1, fig. 5. Nov. 1907. (b) Pleistocene plants from North Carolina. 

 U. S. Geol. Survey, Prof. Paper 140-C, p. 110, pi. 52, figs. 5-8. 1926. 



