Stiles . — The Podocarpeae. 
487 
venation of the leaves, the persistence of the latter, and the non-con- 
vergence to a union of the veins at the tip of the leaf are scarcely sufficient 
evidence of a Nageian affinity. Indeed, Nageiopsis anglica , the Yorkshire 
specimen, is regarded by both Seward and Berry as possibly of Araucarian 
affinity. 
A second genus of Fontaine’s 1 * * from the Potomac is Phyllocladopsis. 
From Fontaine’s figure, however, there is little evidence of Phyllocladean 
affinity. 
From the Cretaceous of New Zealand Ettingshausen has described 
and figured various leaves which he refers to the genera Podocarpium 
and Dacrydiniumd The evidence of a Podocarpean affinity is however 
slight, as the leaves do not differ in any essential feature from those of 
any Conifer with a Taxus- like leaf. The impression named by the same 
writer Ginkgocladus Novae-Zeelandiac z is interesting, as it is apparently 
part of a phylloclade which might quite well have belonged to a Phyllo- 
cladns. As in other cases, however, the evidence is not definite. 
Tertiary. Leaves from Tertiary beds referred to Podocarpus and Dacry- 
dium have been described by Gardner from England , 4 and by Ettingshausen 
from Australia 5 and New Zealand . 6 These cases are specially mentioned, 
as fruits in each of these three instances were found occurring with the 
leaves. As regards the latter it can only be said that although they might 
be Podocarpean leaves, the evidence is not sufficient to prove they might 
not have belonged to some other Coniferous genus. Similarly, the impres- 
sion named Phyllocladus asplenioides by Ettingshausen 7 appears to resemble 
a Phyllocladus , but this does not seem to be sufficient indication of rela- 
tionship. 
If all these references of leaf impressions are correct it means that 
forms near to the modern Phyllocladus , Dacrydium , and Podocarpus were 
in existence in Mesozoic times in Britain, in North America, and in New 
Zealand. But it is well known how unsatisfactory are references based on 
leaf impressions, and this is especially so in the case of the Coniferae, where 
throughout the group there is such uniformity of type as regards leaf 
structure. Even references of recent plants based on leaf characters have 
been very incorrect ; thus the plant named by Sir W. J. Hooker Podo- 
carpus ? Dijfenbachii 8 ultimately turned out to be a species of Veronica. 
As Professor Seward has said, ‘ Tempted by a resemblance in the form of 
the leaves, one is often inclined to assume a relationship with existing 
Conifers which rests on wholly insufficient evidence .’ 9 
1 Fontaine (’89). 
3 1. c., p. 179 ; Taf. VII, Fig. 19. 
6 Ettingshausen (’86), p. 92. 
7 Ettingshausen (’86), p. 94. 
9 Seward (’ll), p. 86. 
2 Ettingshausen (’87), p. 177. 
4 Gardner (’83-6), p. 48. 
6 Ettingshausen (’87), p. 156. 
8 Hooker, Sir W. J. (’43), No. 547. 
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