CHAP, v Palaeobotany, 1860-2900 151 



and suggesting some such composition as Liriodendron. 

 The pollination, however, was that of a Gymnosperm. The 

 genus is most interesting, therefore, as possibly throwing 

 some light on what was the primitive condition of the 

 flower of the Angiosperms. 



Apart from Bennettites, the material of the mesozoic 

 flora has been much less satisfactory than that of the 

 older fossils. It attracted the attention of a number of 

 distinguished workers both in the old world and the new. 

 In the earlier part of our period the Marquis de Saporta 

 stood out very prominently in connexion with research 

 into the plant-remains of the Jurassic formations of France, 

 while the writings of Schenk threw considerable light upon 

 the mesozoic vegetation of Germany. A little later Heer 

 investigated the mesozoic flora of the Arctic regions, inclu- 

 ding not only Gymnospermic types, but also representa- 

 tives of the Dicotyledons. Nathorst must be mentioned 

 in connexion with similar researches into the fossils of the 

 mesozoic rocks of the south of Sweden. The names of 

 Raciborski, Lignier, and Seward also are associated with 

 these investigations towards the end of the century and 

 during the years that have since elapsed. 



Of American botanists who were concerned with the 

 mesozoic flora, special mention must be made of Fontaine, 

 Lester Ward, and Wieland. 



Many other workers than those mentioned contributed 

 to our knowledge, but space prevents any detailed presenta- 

 tion of their researches. So numerous were the workers, 

 that it is impossible at present to see their researches and 

 results in a true perspective. 



The outcome of these numerous investigations was to 

 establish the predominance of Cycadean forms during the 

 Mesozoic period. The old types of the coal-measures had 

 been replaced by these, probably descended from the 

 Cycadonlicinean ancestors, and new types of Ferns had 



