ACER OSMONTI n. sp.
Pl. XIII, fig. 3.
Leaf membranaceous, five-lobed from the top of the
petiole, lower pair of lobes small, at right angles to the midrib, other
pair large, at an angle of 45° with the midrib; central lobe
evidently largest of all (mainly destroyed); all lobes irregularly
toothed and lobed, the lobes sharp pointed; petiole very long and
strong; nervation palmately five-ribbed, the ribs ending in the main
lobes, each with several pairs of alternate secondaries which emerge at
an acute angle and terminate in the teeth of small lateral lobes;
nervilles numerous, rather thin, mainly percurrent and crossing
approximately at right angles to the secondaries; finer nervation
producing rather large areolae.
The genus Acer seems to be quite rare in the Bridge
Creek beds, although abundantly represented in the Mascall beds at Van
Horn's ranch and vicinity. All that I have thus far seen is the leaf
here described, a fragment of another, and less than half a dozen
fruits. The one under consideration lacks the major portion of the
central lobe and the terminal portion of one of the large lateral lobes.
It spreads about 8 cm. between the points of the lower lobes and about
11 cm. between the points of the larger lobes. The length of the leaf
can not be determined, but it can hardly have been less than 9 or 10 cm.
The petiole, very thick and stout for the size of the blade, has 4 cm.
of its length retained and was evidently somewhat longer.
This leaf has a very modern appearance, much more so,
in fact, than the forms found in the Mascall beds. It suggests at once
the sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marshall) of the East and is not
greatly unlike small leaves of A. macrophyllum Pursh, the common
maple of the west coast.
This species is named in honor of Mr. V. C. Osmont,
of the University of California, who collected it.
Locality.—Bridge Creek, Oregon. Collected
by Merriam's party in 1900. (Type in Mus. Univ. Cal., No. 2505.) The
fragmentary leaf above described is No. 8488 in the U. S. Nat. Mus. It
was collected by Condon.
ACER sp., Knowlton.
Pl. XIII, figs. 1, 2.
ACER sp., Knowlton, in Merriam, Univ. Cal., Bull.
Dept. Geol., Vol. II, No. 9, p. 289, 1901.
A fragment of a small, three-lobed leaf showing a
portion of the base, one lateral lobe, and a part of the central lobe.
The length appears to have been about 5 cm. and the width between the
lobes about 5.5 cm. It is coarsely toothed.
Another fragment from the same locality has the base
with a short portion of the petiole preserved. It appears to be the same
as the other.
Locality.—One and one-half miles east of
Clarnos Ferry. Collected by Merriam's expedition of 1900. Types in Mus.
Univ. Cal. Nos. 900, 932.
ACER BENDIREI Lesq.
ACER BENDIREI Lesq., Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. XI,
p. 14, Pl. V, fig. 5; Pl. VI, fig. 1; Pl. VII, fig. 1; Pl. VIII, fig. 1,
1888.
Acer trilobatum productum (Al. Br.) Heer.
Lesquereux, Cret. and Tert. Fl., p. 253, Pl. LIX, figs. 1, 2, 4 (non
fig. 3, which is Platanus dissecta Lesq.).
This species, as may be seen from the above synonymy,
was first regarded by Lesquereux as referable to the European A.
trilobatum productum, but later was raised to full specific rank.
This name was also applied to several leaves from Carbon, Wyoming, a but
they are clearly not the same as those under consideration. In the
Cretaceous and Tertiary Floras (p. 253), Lesquereux records the
specimens under discussion as coming from "Currant Creek, John Day
Valley, Oregon." This is in error, as the types are preserved in the
paleontological collection of the University of California (Nos. 1797,
1797a, 1797b), and are seen at once to have come from Van Horn's ranch.
They are in the characteristic white volcanic tuff, and not the hard,
brownish matrix of the Current Creek deposits. b
Locality.—Van Horn's ranch, South Fork of
John Day River, 12 miles west of Mount Vernon, Grant County, Oregon.
Original material collected by C. D. Voy about 1870 (Mus. Univ. Cal.,
Nos. 1797, 1797a, 1797b); since collected by Maj. Charles E. Bendire (U.
S. Nat. Mus., No. 2413), Dr. John C. Merriam (Mus. Univ. Cal., Nos. 850,
851), and F. H. Knowlton (U. S. Nat. Mus., Nos. 8940—8948).
a Tert. Fl., p. 261, Pl. XLVIII, figs. 2, 3a,
1878.
b On Pl. LIX of the cretaceous and Tertiary Floras,
Lesquereux gives four figures which he refers to Acer trilobatum
productum (now A. Bendirei), and all the specimens are said to be
from the same locality, namely, "Currant Creek, Oregon." This is in
error in regard to fig. 3, the original of which is preserved with the
others in the Paleontological collection of the University of
California (No.1835). This fragment was found to fit into and form a
part of the same individual that is figured in the Auriferous gravel
flora (Pl. V, fig. 3) under the name of Arabia Zaddachi? Heer.
And further it was found that when so filed together they produce a leaf
that must he referred to Platanus dissecta. The locality, plainly marked
on the back of each fragment, is Table Mountain, California.
ACER DIMORPHUM Lesq.
ACER DIMORPHUM Lesq., Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol.
XI, p. 15, Pl. IX, fig. l, 1888.
Locality.—Van Horn's ranch, about 12
miles west of Mount Vernon, Grant County, Oregon. Collected by Maj.
Charles E. Bendire (U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 2415).
ACER MERRIAMI n. sp.
Pl. XIV, fig. 7.
ACER n. sp., Knowlton in Merriam, Univ. Cal., Bull.
Dept. Geol., Vol. II, No. 9, p. 309, 1901.
Leaf coriaceous in texture, palmately, deeply three
lobed, the lobes broad, roughly ovate in shape, of approximately the
same size, lateral lobes at a low angle with the central lobe; all
margin coarsely and irregularly toothed, being provided with low,
irregular, mostly sharp pointed teeth; petiole long, very thick; midrib
thick, with six or more pairs of alternate, strong secondaries which end
in the large teeth of the central lobe, and have smaller branches which
pass to other marginal teeth; lateral ribs nearly as strong as the
midrib, at a low angle, each with about seven pairs of alternate
secondaries passing to the large teeth, and those on the lower side
especially with short branches, which end in marginal teeth; nervilles
numerous, thin, mainly percurrent and at right angles to the
secondaries; finer nervation forming a rather coarse, irregularly
quadrangular network.
The example figured is the only one that has thus far
been found. It is a large, deeply three-lobed leaf about 12 cm. long,
exclusive of the petiole (of which 2.5 cm. in length is preserved), and
about 14 cm. broad. All three lobes are of approximately the same size,
and all are irregularly toothed, the margin being provided with low,
sharp-pointed teeth. The nervation is beautifully preserved.
Maples are abundant in these beds, and many leaves,
fruits, and branches have been obtained. The leaf under consideration is
markedly different from Acer Bendirei, which is perhaps the most
abundant species present, but may possibly be a very broad, coarsely
toothed form of A. dimorphum. The latter species is described by
its author as being prolonged at base into two small lobes which open
like wings on each side of the midrib. The lateral ribs, therefore,
arise at some distance above the top of the petiole in the broad, basal
portion of the blade. In the leaf before me there is no indication of
the basal lobes that are so conspicuous in A. dimorphum, and the
ribs appear to arise at the top of the petiole and at the very base of
the blade. Further, the lobes are doubly dentate—that is, have
large, irregular teeth or lobes, the margins of which are provided with
low teeth. Therefore it seems most logical to regard them as distinct,
at least for the present.
This species is not greatly unlike some forms of
Acer trilobatum tricuspidatum Heer a of the Swiss
Miocene.
I take great pleasure in naming this species in honor
of Dr. John C. Merriam, who has done so much for the paleontology of
this region.
Locality.—Van Horn's ranch, South Fork of
John Day River, about 12 miles west of Mount Vernon, Grant County,
Oregon. Collected by Merriam's expedition of 1900. (Type in Mus. Univ.
Cal., No. 869.)
a Fl. Tert. Helv., Vol. III, Pl. CXII, fig. 3.
ACER, branches of ?
ACER, branches of ? Lesquereux, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus.,
Vol. XI, p. 15, 1888.
A number of branches supposed to belong to some
species of Acer, but it is quite impossible to determine which one.
Locality.—Van Horn's ranch, about 12
miles west of Mount Vernon, Grant County, Oregon. Collected by Maj.
Charles E. Bendire (U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 2418).
ACER OREGONIANUM n. sp.
Pl. XIII, fig. 5—8.
Acer, fruits of, Lesquereux, Proc: U. S. Nat.
Mus., Vol. XI, p. 15, Pl. VI, figs 2, 3, 1888.
Fruits long and broad-winged, the wing being
evidently very thick and provided with numerous strong veins; nucleus
large, round, showing broad truncation where attached to the sister
fruit.
This form is so very abundant in all collections from
these beds and admits so readily of separation that I have ventured to
give it a name. It of course represents the fruit of one of the species
founded on leaves that are also abundant in all collections, but thus
far no fruit has been found attached to or even approximate to a leaf,
and until so found it is more convenient to be able to refer to the
fruits independently.
These fruits are, with the exception of that of
Acer gigas (supra, p. 76), the largest ones found in these beds.
They range in length from 3.5 to 4.5 cm. The wing is unusually broad,
being not infrequently 1.75 cm. wide. It is filled with numerous strong
veins, which are given off from the axis of the fruit in groups or
bundles.
As Lesquereux has well suggested, these fruits most
closely resemble those of the living Acer macrophyllum Pursh, the
large-leaved maple so common on the Pacific coast; in fact, they are
hardly to be distinguished.
Locality.—Abundant in Mascall beds at Van
Horn's ranch and vicinity. All collectors have obtained it. Types of
Lesquereux's figures in U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 2417. Types of figures in
this paper collected by Knowlton and Merriam, July, 1901, in U. S. Nat.
Mus., Nos. 8494—8497.
ACER MEDIANUM n. sp.
Pl. XIV, figs. 4, 5.
Fruit large, lanceolate in shape; wing relatively
narrow, filled with thin veins; nucleus round or oblong, the scar of
attachment to its sister fruit very oblique.
This provisional species is represented by the two
examples figured. The smaller is 4.25 cm. long and has the wing 1 cm.
wide; the other is 4.75 cm. long and has a wing 1.25 cm. wide.
It is possible that there are merely very large
fruits of the following species, as they are of approximately the same
shape, but there are no intermediate specimens, and I have preferred to
keep them separate for the present.
Locality.—Figure 4, the smaller, is from
the original Van Horn's ranch locality; the other is from the white
hill, one-half mile east of the first locality. Collected by Knowlton
and Merriam, July, 1901 (U. S. Nat. Mus., Nos. 8498, 8499).
ACER MINOR n. sp.
Pl. XIV, figs. 2, 3.
Acer, fruits of, Lesquereux, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. XI, p.
15, Pl. VII, fig. 2, 1888.
Fruits of small size, similar in shape to the
preceding species; length, 2.5 cm., width of wing, 8 mm.
As already stated, this may be the same as the
preceding form, but the specimens are so much smaller, and moreover, as
there are no intermediate specimens, it has seemed best to regard them
as distinct.
Inasmuch as three species have been differentiated in
these beds, based on leaves, it is natural to suppose that the fruits
might also show differences. In any case it would seem easy to recognize
the three forms of fruits here described.
Locality.—White hill one-half mile east
of original Van Horn's ranch locality, Grant County, Oregon. Collected
by Knowlton and Merriam, July, 1901 (U. S. Nat. Mus., Nos. 8500,
8501).
ACER GIGAS n. sp.
Pl. XIV, fig. 1.
Fruit of enormous size, very narrow; wing of nearly
similar width throughout, filled with numerous but rather fine veins;
nucleus very large, elliptical in shape.
This fine species is represented thus far by the single example figured,
with its counterpart. It is a very long, narrow fruit, 9.5 cm. in length
and only about 1.5 cm. in width. The nucleus or seed proper is large,
being 2 cm. in long, and nearly 1 cm. in short, diameter.
The scar where it was attached to its sister fruit
is oblique and very long.
I know nothing either living or fossil to which this
fruit can be compared.
Locality.—Gulch 1 mile northeast of
Belshaw's ranch, Grant County, Oregon. Collected by Knowlton and
Merriam, July, 1901 (U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 8502).
RULAC CRATÆGIFOLIUM n. sp.
Pl. XVI, fig. 7.
Leaf coriaceous, trifoliolate or very deeply
three-lobed, lateral leaflet (or lobe) roughly ovate-lanceolate in
shape, irregularly, deeply cut into toothed lobes or large teeth near
the apex, wedge-shaped at base, acuminate at apex; middle leaflet (or
lobe) much smaller than the lateral ones, narrowly ovate-lanceolate,
long, wedge-shaped below, very acuminate at apex, margin coarsely
toothed; nervation of leaflets (or lobes) consisting of a strong midrib
and several pairs of alternate rather thin secondaries which end in
the lobes or teeth; finer nervation not preserved.
This species is represented only by the specimen
figured, and this unfortunately is not sufficiently well preserved fully
to reveal its character. It is presumably trifoliolate, but may be only
deeply three-lobed. The larger leaflet is assumed from its position to
be a lateral one, the middle one being much smaller. This lateral
leaflet is 5.5 cm. in length, and 2.75 cm. in width between the larger
lobes. The central leaflet is 4 cm. long and 1.25 cm. in width. Both are
sessile.
Owing to the poor state of preservation it is not
possible to fix the position of this leaf with certainty. In most
trifoliolate leaves, if the leaflets differ in size, the middle one is
usually the larger. In this case the larger leaflet of our specimen is
the lateral one, and it is assumed to be lateral because it curves away
from the smaller one and has a curved midrib, whereas the smaller one is
erect and has a straight midrib.
With the limitations set by the imperfections of the
specimen it is perhaps unwise to attempt comparisons between it and
described forms, yet a few of these may be suggested. Thus the larger
leaflet is not greatly unlike Cratœgus acerifolia Lesq., a from
Florissant, Colorado, which itself is probably the same as a part at
least of the leaves described as Myrica divisifolia Lesq., b from
the same locality. These are all long petioled, showing them to be
leaves and not leaflets, whereas ours is sessile, showing that it is
probably a leaflet.
a Cret. and Tert. Fl., p. 198, Pl. XXXVI, fig.
10.
b Idem, p. 146, Pl. xxv, figs. 6-15.
If we assume the larger leaflet to be the central one
of a trifoliolate leaf, it certainly suggests one of the specimens
described by Lesquereux as. Rhus Hilliœ, a also from Florissant.
However, the other specimens classed with this one make it extremely
improbable that ours is the same. I have, therefore, assumed that it
belongs to Rulac (formerly Negundo), the well-known box elder, but it
must remain for future collections to settle the question.
Locality.—Van Horn's ranch, about 12
miles west of Mount Vernon, Grant County, Oregon. Collected by Knowlton
and Merriam, July, 1901 (U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 8533).
a Cret. and Tert. Fl., p. 194, Pl. XLI, fig.
14 only.
Previous
Contents