Tertiary Period, 8T 



" In this point of view, the enumeration of the plants of this 

 first epoch is in no way comparable to that of the other 

 epochs, where I have refrained even from introducing the 

 small number of fossil plants from the Tertiary formations of 

 the equatorial regions that are known, in order to confine 

 myself to a comparison of the Tertiary Floras of Europe. 



** With regard to the characters drawn from vegetable 

 forms during these three epochs, the most remarkable ap- 

 pear to me, 1*^, In the Eocene period, the presence, but 

 rarity, of the palms, limited to a small number of species. 



" The predominance of Algae and marine Monocotyledons, 

 which must be ascribed to the great extent of marine forma- 

 tions during this epoch. 



•* The existence of a great number of extra European forms, 

 resulting especially from the presence of the fossil fruits of 

 Sheppey. 



"2fl?, In regard to the Miocene epoch, the abundance of palms 

 in the greater number of localities belonging, without doubt, to 

 this epoch ; the existence of a considerable number of non- 

 European forms, in particular of the genus Steinhauera, which 

 appears to me to be a rubiaceae allied to nauclea, found in 

 many localities of these formations. 



" Sd, In regard to the Pliocene epoch, the great predomi- 

 nance and variety of Dicotyledons, the rarity of Monocotyle- 

 dons, and, above all, the absence of Palms ; lastly, the general 

 analogy of the forms of these plants with those of the tempe- 

 rate regions of Europe, North America, and Japan. 



"A remarkable character of the Floras of these three epochs, 

 but which is most striking in regard to the last, in which the 

 dicotyledonous plants are most numerous, is the absence of 

 the most numerous and characteristic families of the division 

 of Gamopetalis. Thus, among the numerous impressions of 

 Partschlug, CEningen, Hoerring, Radoboj, &c., there is nothing 

 to indicate the existence of the Compositse, Campanulaceae 

 Personneae, Labiaceae, Solaniae, Boraginase, &c. 



" The only Monopetales mentioned in great numbers are the 

 Ericaceae, Ilicineae, some Sapotacese, and Styraceae, families 

 which belong almost as much to the Dialypetales as to the 

 Gamopetales. 



