Brachyphyllum crassum complex of fossil conifers

Abstract

The holotype of Brachyphyllum crassurn TenisonWoods, is re-examined, and this species reclassifiedas Araucaria crassa (Tenison Woods) com. nov.; itis probably Tertiary in age. Of shoots referred toA. crassa one belongs to the Taxodiaceae,Athrotaxustasmnanica com. nov. also almost certainly Tertiary;while the other, Jurassic in age, is referred toPagiophyllum feistrnanteli Halle, which is redescribed.Another group of shoots sometimes confusedwith A, crassa. is described as Allocladus gen.nov., with three species Al. rajmahalense (Feistmantel)com. nov. Al. milneanus (Tenison Woods)com. nov. and Al. cribbii sp. nov. The supposedcone of Al. milneanus is examined, and doubt isthrown on its ascription to Allocladus. It is renamedConites tenison-woodsi nom. nov.