40 
S. McLoughlin 
epidermal cells are closely comparable to the 
epidermal/cuticular morphology of P. boolensis 
suggesting a close relationship. Ptilophyllum 
boolensis is restricted to Douglas' (1969) "Zone B" 
flora in Victoria and its occurrence within the 
Broome Sandstone suggests that this unit is, at least 
partly, also of Neocomian age. 
Genus Zamites Brongniart, 1828 
Type species 
Zamites gigas (Lindley and Hutton) Morris, 1843; 
Jurassic, Scarborough, England. Selected by 
Andrews (1970). 
Zamites sp. 
Figure 7E 
Material 
UWA118826. 
Distribution 
Bullsbrook Formation, Perth Basin (Neocomian- 
Barremian). 
Description 
Linear pinnule 46 mm long, 5 mm wide, base 
contracted, apex rounded obtuse, margin entire 
(Figure 7E). Several veins emerge from base, rarely 
dichotomize immediately above base producing 10 
ultimate veins which pass parallel along the lamina 
and slightly converge near apex. Complete frond 
and cuticular data not available. 
Comments 
The single available pinnule is similar to the 
linear parallel-veined leaflets of Zamites or 
Pseudoctenis fronds from the Early Cretaceous of 
South Africa (Anderson and Anderson 1985) and 
India (Sahni and Rao 1933) but specific 
identification is not possible without complete 
fronds or cuticular data. 
Division Pinophyta 
Class Pinopsida 
Order Finales 
Family Araucariaceae 
Genus Araucaria Jussieu 1789 
Type species 
Araucaria araucana (Molina) K. Koch, 1873; extant; 
Chile. 
Discussion 
Three species of Araucaria are recognized from 
the Western Australian Cretaceous on the basis of 
leaf size and shape and axis thickness. These 
species may represent different portions or stages 
of maturity of the same plant. Until intermediate 
or more complete remains are found the foliage 
types are described separately. 
Araucaria sp. A 
Figure 7K 
1993 Araucaria sp. A; McLoughlin and Guppy; 
figure 22. 
Material 
WAM P.63.31, WAM P.96.7. 
Distribution 
Broome Sandstone (Neocomian-Barremian), 
Canning Basin. 
Description 
Slender terminal axes <4 mm wide, reaching 36 
mm long, bearing spirally inserted simple scale¬ 
like leaves closely adpressed to axis (Figure 7K). 
Branches rare, irregular. Leaves small (1 mm wide, 
2 mm long), elliptical, ovate, or rhomboid, with 
prominent ridge along midline of abaxial surface 
(on casts). Leaves tightly imbricate; overlapping by 
about one-third those in distally adjacent spiral. 
Leaf apices acutely pointed, commonly flexed 
adaxially. 
Comments 
Araucaria sp. A differs from other Western 
Australian araucarians by its very small, 
longitudinally elongate, rhomboid leaves that 
typically show a ridge along the centre of the 
abaxial leaf surface casts. In this respect the leaves 
are very similar to Brachyphyllum sp. of Banerji and 
Pal (1986) from the Upper Jurassic Sarnu Hill 
Formation, India. Araucarioid axes from the 
Yaragadee Formation (Middle to Late Jurassic), 
Perth Basin, described as Pagiophyllum or 
Brachyphyllum species or coniferous fragments by 
Arber (1910), Walkom (1921b), and White (1986) 
have narrower leaves that are not adpressed to the 
axis and belong to a separate araucarian species. 
A number of other Australian and South 
American forms, including Brachyphyllum 
gippslandicum McCoy (in Stirling), 1892, Araucaria 
sp. of Drinnan and Chambers (1986), Brachyphyllum 
sp. of Baldoni (1980a), and Nothopeliuen brevis Del 
Fueyo, 1991, are morphologically similar to 
Araucaria sp. A but their precise relationships will 
only be resolved when cuticular data and 
fructifications become available. 
