Early Cretaceous macrofloras 
43 
periphery of cone. Cone attachment point not 
evident. Seeds and foliage not available. 
Comments 
Both of the Broome Sandstone cones are isolated 
and can not be linked to any of the araucarian 
foliage species described above. Latex casts failed 
to reveal significant morphological details of cone 
scale shapes although their large size suggests that 
the cones are ovulate rather than pollenate. 
Anatomical details are not preserved in the 
Western Australian specimens preventing 
comparison to permineralized araucarian cones 
from the Jurassic? of India (Bohra and Sharma 
1980). An araucarian cone from the Kennedy 
Ranges (Merlinleigh Sandstone: Eocene), Western 
Australia, figured by McLoughlin and Hill (in 
press) is of similar dimensions but has more 
distinctive cone scale impressions which in some 
cases have left prominent spirally arranged 
rhomboid scars on the cone axis. 
Araucarian cone scales 
Figures 9A,B 
1993 Araucarian cone scale; McLoughlin and 
Guppy; figure 20. 
Material 
WAM P.96.5, WAM P.96.6. 
Distribution 
Broome Sandstone (Neocomian-Barremian), 
Canning Basin. 
Description 
Detached cone scale complex (fused ovuliferous 
scale, seed, and bract). Scale cuneate, base pointed 
acute to truncate, apex truncate, no terminal spine 
evident (though possibly removed); width 13 mm, 
length 12-14 mm. Scales with elliptical to oblong 
indentation or cast (2.5 mm wide, 8 mm long) near 
base marking position of seed (Figures 9A,B). Cone 
scale narrowly winged. 
Comments 
Two cone scales are preserved in the Broome 
Sandstone assemblages. Similar isolated cone scales 
are found throughout Gondwanan Jurassic and 
Cretaceous strata but their affinities with foliage- 
based species are generally indeterminate. The 
Broome specimens lack apical spines in contrast to 
most South American and eastern Australian cone 
scales (Walkom 1919a; Baldoni 1981; Drinnan and 
Chambers 1986). They also appear to have poorly 
developed lateral membraneous wings although 
this may be a preservational flaw. The Broome 
cone scales are most similar to Araucarites sp. B of 
Seward (1904) and the "winged seed type 1" of 
Drinnan and Chambers (1986). Indian Mesozoic 
cone scales assigned to Araucarites parsormsis Lele, 
1955 and Baksi's (1968) A. cutchensis Feistmantel 
are not as apically expanded as the Western 
Australian specimens. Araucarites janaianus Bose 
arid Banerji, 1984 is similar in size and ovule 
position to the Western Australian scales but it 
possesses distinct apical spines. 
Family Podocarpaceae 
Genus Elatocladus Halle emend Harris, 1979 
Type species 
Elatocladus heterophylla Halle 1913; ?Lower 
Jurassic or ?Lower Cretaceous; Hope Bay, 
Antarctic Peninsula. 
Elatocladus ginginensis sp. nov. 
Figures 9C-E,G 
1961 Elatocladus plana (Feistmantel); White; p. 302- 
303; plate 6, figures 1A, 2A. [1961a]. 
1993 Rissikia sp.; McLoughlin and Guppy; p. 14; 
figure 24. 
Holotype 
UWA16703; Leederville Formation (Neocomian- 
Barremian); Cheriton Creek, Gingin, Western 
Australia. 
Material 
WAM P.88.14, WAM P.89.174, WAM P.89.192, 
WAM P.96.10, UWA10464C-E, UWA10466B-E, 
UWA10467A,B, UWA10468A, UWA10474B, 
UWA10475, UWA10477B, UWA16703. 
Distribution 
Broome Sandstone, Canning Basin; Leederville 
and Bullsbrook Formations, Perth Basin (all 
Neocomian-Barremian). 
Diagnosis 
Slender distal shoots bearing univeined, spirally 
inserted, basally twisted, linear leaves in distichous 
4 Figure 8 A-C, F, Araucaria sp. B; latex casts of branches bearing spirally arranged rhomboid leaves; (A) WAM 
P.89.188, x 4; (B) WAM P.89.189, x 3; (C) WAM P.89.189, x 2; (F) WAM P.89.188, x 6; all from Broome 
Sandstone; D, Araucarian cone impression; distal end at top of figure; WAM P.89.187; Broome Sandstone; x 
1.5; E, Araucaria sp. C; large branched axis impression with overlapping scale-like leaves; WAM P.88.16; 
Broome Sandstone; x 0.8. 
