USNM 37636 Rhamnus herendeenensis Hollick  

Notes

Hollick (1930)

Pl. 78 Fig. 9

 

Locality

From Hollick (1930) (p. 102)

"Chignik Bay, Alaska Peninsula, shore opposite end of long spit that reaches the end of the lagoon and about 2 miles northeast of Alaska Packers Association cannery (original No. 958); collected by T. W. Stanton in 1904 (lot 3521) (pl. 78, fig. 8). Mine [Coal?] Creek, Herendeen Bay, Alaska Peninsula (original No. 30); collected by H. M. Eakin in 1908 (lot 5184) (pl. 78, figs. 9-10)."

 

Locality Map

 

Description

From Hollick (1930) (p. 102)

"Plate 78, Figures 8-10"

"Leaves irregularly oblong-elliptical, from 4 to 6.5 centimeters in length and from 1.5 to 3 centimeters in width; base cuneate, one side more acute than the other, giving an inequilateral appearance to the leaf; midrib flexuous; secondary nerves three to five on each side, irregularly alternate, subtending acute angles with the midrib, extending sharply upward, curving and thinning out close to the margin, where they apparently merge into one another; tertiary nervation obscurely defined, apparently fine, closely spaced, straight, and at right angles to the secondaries throughout. '

 

Remarks

From Hollick (1930) (p. 102)

"It is unfortunate that all three of the specimens figured to represent the type of this species are imperfect in an identical way, and this gives an appearance of inequilateral obliquity to the bases of the leaves that may be somewhat exaggerated.

The generic reference may perhaps be qnestioned, by reason of the conspicuous acrodrome nervation, which is also characteristic of the genus Cornus; but the obscure, fine, closely spaced tertiary nervation would seem to indicate relationship to the Rhamnaceae rather than to the Cornaceae. It is apparently referable to the same general type of leaf as Rhamnites berchemiaformis Berry (1916) (p. 285, pl. 71, fig. 3) from the Eocene (Wilcox formation) of eastern Texas."