The Fossil Flora of the Bozeman Coal Field. 153 



THE FOSSIL FLORA OF THE BOZEMAN COAL FIELD * 



BY F. H. KNOWLTON. 



[Abstract.] 



TIk' lii'st eolleetion of fossil [>lants from wliat is now very gen- 

 erally known as the Bozeman Coal Field, Montana, was made in 

 1871 by the members of Dr. F. V. Hayden's party while they were 

 encamped at Fort Ellis preparatory to beginning tlieir memora- 

 ble exploration of the Yellowstone National Park. The actual 

 collecting was done by Dr. A. C. Peale, Mr. W. H. Holmes, and 

 iNIr. Josei)h Savage, and the specimens were all obtained on the 

 same day and from the same vicinit}', although not all at exactly 

 the same spot. As the country was at that time new and unset- 

 tled, the nearest fixed i)(>int was the militar}^ reservation of Fort 

 Ellis, and the specimens were labeled by tlie various collectors as 

 follows : " Six miles above Spring Canon (now known as Rocky 

 Canon), near Fort Ellis, jNIontana ; " "Above Spring Canon, near 

 Fort Ellis," and " Near Fort Ellis, above coal." 



These specimens were identified by Prof. Leo Lesquereux, and 

 rej^resent al»out oO species, nearly one-third of which were then 

 regarded as new to science. 



In recent ^^ears quite extensive additional collections have 

 been made, both at the original localities and a number of newly 

 discovered ones, l)y Dr. Peale, Mr. W. H. Weed, and myself. 

 These, together with most of the original specimens that are 

 fortunately preserved in the United States National Museum, 

 have furnished the basis of the present examination. 



As at present understood, the tlora of the Bozeman Coal Field 

 embraces 43 species. Of this numl)er 3 are regarded as new to 

 science, while a number of others are of excej^tional biological 

 interest. 



Thiniifcldia jiolymorplia Lx., sp , the Salishn rin injlijuwrplia Lx., 

 of the original collection, is rei)resented by a great number of 

 finel}' preserved leaves, which arc long, wedge-shaped in outline, 

 narrowed from above the middle downward into a strong, thick 

 petiole, and rounded, erose or irregularly undulate or toothed at 

 the apex. The nervation consists of a strong midvein, continu- 

 ing tcf or vanishing just lielow the apex, and numerous thin, 



*Read before the Biological Society of Washington, March 19, 1892. 



