Geological Survey Bulletin 204 Fossil Flora of the John Day Basin, Oregon

Family ANACARDIACE&AEig;.

RHUS BENDIREI Lesq.

RHUS BENDIREI Lesq., Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. XI, p. 15, Pl. IX, fig. 2, 1888.

The type material consisted of the example figured and another specimen with its counterpart. The figured specimen, it will be noted, is oblanceolate in shape, about 10.5 cm. in length, 3.5 cm. in width at the broadest point, and is narrowly wedge-shaped below and acuminate above. Lesquereux regarded this as the terminal leaflet and decided that the other specimen represented a lateral leaflet of the same species. Of this latter he says: "To this I refer a small, oblong-lanceolate leaflet, rounded in narrowing rapidly to the point of attachment, very short-petioled, and areolation identical." This is much smaller, being only 6 cm. in length and 2.5 cm. in greatest width, and while it looks at first quite different, may belong to it. The collection made by Dr. John C. Merriam in 1900 contains two specimens like the smaller leaflet.

Locality.—Van Horn's ranch, South Fork of John Day River, about 12 miles west of Mount Vernon, Grant County, Oregon. Collected by Maj. Charles E. Bendire (U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 2582).

RHUS ? sp. Lesq.

Pl. XIV, fig. 6.

The original collection by Bendire contains a fragment of the base of a leaf or leaflet that was referred by Lesquereux to Rhus, but was not included in his published list of species. It is impossible to make out the whole outline, but it seems to have been obovate with a broadly wedge-shaped, unequal-sided base. The margin appears to have been provided with small, sharp teeth. The nervation consists of a comparatively thick midrib and quite a number of thin secondaries those on the broader side of the blade being at a right angle and those on the narrower side at an angle of about 40° They are apparently camptodrome.

It is clearly unsafe to attempt comparisons between this specimen and other known species.

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. 8550).