Szekessy Vilmos (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 57. (Budapest 1965)
Rásky, K.: A contribution to the study of Tertiary plant remains from Hungary
ceae, as well as those of certain recent genera. For instance, the venation of the fragmentary leaf impression, published on Plate VI., Fig. 19-20, entirely conforms with that of the leaves of the recent Alchornea iricurana MÜLL. ARG., Locality: Budapest-Óbuda, Upper Eocene, marl deposit. Material: Coll. Nr. 65. 17. 1., and its counterpart, Coll. Nr. 65. 18. 1. Palaeobotanical Collection, Botanical Department of the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest. Mallotophyllum palaeomiquelianuni n. g., n. sp. (Plate VI, Figs. 17-18) Diagnosis gen. et sp. ; Characteristical leaf bases. Measurable lengths 6—7 cm, greatest width 4.0—4.5 cm. Upper portion of leaves injured or missing. Margin entire. Base elongated aequilateral, slightly rotundate but not peltate. Length of remaining and measurable petiole 2.0 mm, rather thick. Midrib thick, emitting alternate secondary veins. Secondaries ascendant, subtending about 45° with midrib, and only moderately curved. Lower side of secondaries locally emitting pseudosecondaries. Tertiary veins interconnecting secondaries with each other and midrib. Tertiaries more or less parallel. Further venation irregular, quadrate meshes. Texture probably coriaceous. Remarks and comparison: The fossile basal fragments show the greatest similarity to the leaves of the recent Malloius miquelianus (SCHEFF.) PAX & HOFFM., to such a rate that they are almost identical. However, the upper segment of the leaves are missing, and these could have been either dentate or entire. The genus Mallotus ranges today in tropical Africa, Madagascar, India, SE Asia, the Malay Peninsula, and the Philippines. Our leaves are different from those published by MACGIMTIE (1941) and BECKER (I960) under the name Mallotus riparius MACGINITIE, from the Older Tertiary of America. Flower remains: The small flower found adjacent to the impressions of the leaves is shown on Plate IV, Fig. 12, magnified about one and a half times. Locality: Budapest-Óbuda, Upper Eocene, marl deposit. Generotype: Plate VI, Fig. 17-18, Coll. Nr. 65. 3.1., and its counterpart 65. 16. 1. Palaeobotanical Collection, Botanical Department of the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest. Engelhardtia hrongniarli SAP. (Plate IV, Fig. 11) Description: Winged fruit, with three or? four parted involucres, and a round, slightly broken nutlet. Length of median lobes 3.5 cm, with a midrib medially, emitting interconnected lateral veins toward apex. Only a part of one lateral lobe whole. Fruit not differing from those published from Upper Eocene (RÁSKY 1956). Remarks and comparison: The Engelhardtia fruit presented here is not different from those already publ shed from the same locality, from the Middle Oligocène (RÁSKY, 1964), and it is well within the form-group as given by SAPORTA. There are some even among the forms of Engelhardtia nevadensis, described by MACGIMTIE (1941), wich hardly seem to deviate from the European ones. The Engelhardtia trees are today smaller or greater, sometimes high trees, inhabiting evergreen, primary dryland forests. In Malaysia, they prefer the mountains between about 1000 - 2000 m, although they are sometimes found in the lowlands. Whether, the Engelhardtia trees of the Upper Eocene or even in the Middle Oligocène of Budapest-Óbuda grew near the seashore or on the slopes of mountains, or simultaneously in both opposite ecological conditions, is hard to ascertain from the fossils. One can only presume that they lived in conditions in which they flourish today. Locality: Budapest-Óbuda, L T pper Eocene, marl deposit. Material: Coll. Nr. 55. 2246. 1. Palaeobotanical Collection, Botanical Department of the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest.
