Szekessy Vilmos (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 57. (Budapest 1965)

Rásky, K.: A contribution to the study of Tertiary plant remains from Hungary

New Guinea in the recent vegetation, whereas they occur together in the Upper Eocene sediments in the area of Budapest-Óbuda. In general, the species Erythrospermum candidum (BECC.) BECC. inhabits today the Solomon Islands, the Malay Peninsula, Borneo, Celebes, the Moluccas, and New Guinea. The logical implication is therefore that there reigned around Ipolytarnóc, therefore in Europe, ecological and climatical conditions in the Tertiary similar to those in which the species had survived in the area of the SE Asiatic archipelago. It is quite probable that there had been such local archipelagos also in Europe in that time. Locality: Ipolytarnóc, North Hungary, tuff deposit, Tertiary. Generotype: Plate II, Fig. 4. Coll. Nr. 65. 4. 1. and the counterpart, Coll. Nr. 65. 5. 1. Palaeobotanical Collection, Botanical Department of the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest, II. Budapest-Óbuda, Middle Oligocène Ahuiriteophylluin nemejci n. g., n. sp. (Plate IV, Fig. 13) Diagnosis gen. et sp.: An incomplete leaf specimen. When whole, shape of leaf might have been rhombeo-ovate or triangular-ovate. Base slightly rotundate, petiole thick, remaining length 2 — 2.5 cm. Remaining margin of leaf entire, upper segment eventually 2—3-lobate and repando-dentate. Base with 3 midribs, these ribs almost of equal thickness. Lateral veins emitted from midrib at rather regular distances. Also pseudoprimaries emitting secondaries on both sides (which might imply that the upper portion of the leaf terminated here in a lobe). Tertiary venation of leaf not much visible. Texture probably coriaceous or subcoriaceous. Remarks and comparison: The leaf remain found in the Middle Oligocène clay layer is well comparable to the leaves of the recent Aleurites moluccana (L.) WILDD. This is a high tree of Malaya and the Pacific Islands, a species cultivated not only in the tropics but also in America. The occurrence of the Euphorbiaceae is not rare also in the Rupelian clay layer around Budapest. We have earlier described a fragmentary branch, under the name Equisetum lombardianum SAP. (RÁSKY, 1943, p. 523, Taf. 20, Fig. 1). The remain is probably the empty internodium of the myrmecophyle species Macaranga cladiifolia BECC. var. truncata PAX & Ho F FM. The species now inhabits Borneo and the monsoon territory. In the Tertiary, the genus Macaranga was represented also in the Upper Eocene marl deposits of Hungary, by the species Macarangaephyllum palaeomonandrum. The genus survived until the Middle Oligocène in the area of Budapest-Óbuda. We have also described earlier a leaf, from the same locality, under the name Laurus hungarica RÁSKY (1943, p. 518, Taf. 19, Fig. 1), from the Rupelian. Recent leaves, entirely agreeing with this one, are identified as Euphorbia sp., liana, Gabon, in our Herbarium. In general, the leaves of recent Euphorbiaceae, Flacourtiaceae, Tiliaceae, and some Lauraceae resemble each other under the tropics to such a degree that it is hard to confront them by their morphological differences. Locality: Budapest-Óbuda, Middle Oligocène, Rupelian, clay deposit. Generotypus: Plate IV, Fig. 13, Coll. Nr. 65. 13. 1. Palaeobotanical Collection, Botanical Department of the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest, Scolopiaephyllum protoluzonense (BÁSKY) RÁSKY (Plate IV, Fig. 14) Description: A lanceolate leaf, upper portion missing, basally cuneate. Measurable length 5.5 cm, width 2.0 cm. Petiole 8 mm, wide. Margin irregularly dentate. Midrib thick. Lateral veins, emitted from base, ascendant, above parallel, camptodrome. Tertiaries interconnecting secondaries at wide spaces. Texture coriaceous.