USNM 37396 Cephalotaxopsis magnifolia successiva Hollick  

Notes

Hollick (1930)

Pl. 20 Fig. 4b

 

 

Locality

From Hollick (1930) (p. 54)

"Yukon River, north bank, about 5 miles above Louden station [Nahochatilton] (original No. 22A); collected by W. W. Atwood and H. M. Eakin in 1007 (lot 4636) (pl. 7, fig. 9c). Yukon River, north bank, about 6 miles above Nahochatilton (original No. 3AHI6); collected by Arthur Hollick and Sidney Paige in 1903 (lot 3252) (pl. 16, figs. 1a, 2, 3a). Yukon River, north bank, about 10 miles below Melozi telegraph station (original No. 18); collected by W. W. Atwood and H. M. Eakin in 1907 (lot 4633) (pl. 16, fig. 4). Yukon River, north bank, at Bluff Point, about 16 miles above Kaltag (original No. 3AH25); collected by Arthur Hollick and Sidney Paige in 1903 (lot 3264) (pl. 16, fig. 5; pl. 20, fig. 4b). Yukon River, north bank, at Williams mine (original No. 2AC284); collected by A. J. Collier and Sidney Paige in 1902 (lot 2985) (pl. 16, fig. 6a)."

 

Locality Map

 

Description

From Hollick (1930) (p. 53)

"Plate 7, Figure 9c; Plate 16, Figures la, 2, 3a, 4-6a; Plate 20, Figure 4b"

"Leaves averaging about 4.5 centimeters in length by about 2.5 millimeters in maximum width, linear-lanceolate, straight or falcate, tapering gradually above to a narrow acute tip and somewhat more abruptly below to a curved cuneate base; texture evidently coriaceous, as indicated by numerous transverse cracks or wrinkles, simulating fine nervation."

 

Remarks

From Hollick (1930) (p. 53)

"These leaves, which are all detached, are strikingly similar to those in the figure of the specimen referred by Berry (1911) (p.377, pl. 60, fig. 1) to Cephalotaxopsis magnifolia Fontaine (1889) (p. 236, pl. 104, figs. 4, 5; pl. 105, figs. 1, 1a, 1b, 2, 4; pl. 106, figs. 1, 1a, 3; pl. 107, figs. 1, 2, 4, 4a; pl. 108, figs. 1, 3, 4) from the Potomac group of Virginia, and it is difficult to escape the idea that the species to which Berry's specimen belongs is identical with ours from Alaska. The reference to Cephalotaxopsis magnifolia, however, may be questioned. The leaves of this species are shorter, more rigid, and closer together than they are depicted in Berry's figure, in which the leaves are long, slender, and occasionally falcate as in ours.

Similar remains, from the Shasta series of California, that compare very closely with the slender apical parts of our leaves, are referred by Fontaine to Cephalotaxopsis ramosa Fontaine (1905) (p. 258, pl. 68, figs. 5-7) and others to Cephalotaxopsis? rhytidodes Ward (Fontaine 1905) (p. 258, pl. 68, fig. 8). These remains show the characteristic transverse cracks or wrinkles at right angles to the midrib, as in our specimens. Fontaine (1905) (p. 237) refers to the same character in connection with Cephalotaxopsis magnifolia, and it may also be noted in connection with Torreya dicksonioides Dawson (1882 [1883]) (p. 21, pl. 2, figs. 4, 4a) (= Tumion dicksonioides (Dawson) Knowlton (1898) (p. 234)) from the Cretaceous of British Columbia.

Although our specimens are represented only by detached leaves, and their arrangement when attached can therefore not be defined with certainty, an indication of the character of their arrangement may be seen in Figure 6a on Plate 16, in which they appear to be rather widely separated and to subtend acute angles with the central rachis. The specimen illustrated in this figure may be regarded as the type of the variety.

Incidentally, in connection with this phase of the subject, suggestive comparisons may be made with the figures of Taxites zamioides (Leckenby) Seward and Pinus nordenskioldii Heer, from the Jurassic of Oregon, as described and depicted by Fontaine (1905) (p. 129, pl. 34, figs. 15- 17; pl. 35, figs. 1-3; p. 131, pl. 35, figs. 10-17). The detached leaves of each of these species are strikingly like ours in shape and dimensions but lack the charac- teristic transverse wrinkling, which, however, being apparently due to secondary conditions and not to conditions of growth, is merely an accidental and not a normal feature. Perfect specimens, with leaves attached, might modify or change our ideas in connection with the generic relationships of both the Oregon and the Alaska specimens."