A new stellar nursery in the southern cross

We report spectroscopic observations of the optical counterparts of ROSAT sources proposed by Park & Finley (1986, AJ, 112, 693) to be weak-lined T Tauri (WTT) stars in a new star-forming cloud in Crux. We confirm that most are young late-type stars without significant lithium depletion, but do not concur with Park and Finley that they were formed in an uncataloged cloud associated with a ridge seen in IRAS maps. We discuss several possible origins of these stars. Although they may be field ZAMS stars or have formed in the nearby Coalsack. they are most likely representative of the G- and K-type population in the Sco-Cen OB association. At an age of similar or equal to 11 Myr, the Crux ROSAT stars are likely to be examples of intermediate-aged magnetically active WTT stars which are deficient from most T Tauri star samples. (C) 1997 American Astronomical Society.