518 Descriptions of the Fossil Plants 



yet procured the cones, or any cone scales from the West- 

 ern coast, and we therefore want data without which it is 

 impossible to say with certainty whether this is identical 

 with the European species or not. 



The foliage exhibits an almost constant variation from 

 that of G. Europaus, as that species is described and fig- 

 ured, and if it shall be decided that it is not specifically 

 distinct, it is certain that the specimens from Western 

 America represent a peculiar variety. 



These specimens exhibit two forms of foliage. On 

 some branches the leaves are half an inch long, and 

 arranged in two rows ; these specimens are scarcely dis- 

 tinguishable from those described by Heer as "linearibus 

 patentibus distichis," and figured in Foss. Flor, Helvet. 

 Taf. XVIII. fig. 5. Other branches, and by far the 

 most numerous, are clothed with much shorter awl-shaped 

 leaves, often closely appressed ; but they are always lon- 

 ger and sharper than the appressed leaves of the European 

 specimens. The leaves of both forms may usually be seen 

 to be keeled, but they are not always so. 



The beautiful specimens of Glyptostrobus obtained by 

 Dr. F. V. Hay den from the Miocene Tertiaries of Ne- 

 braska, which include the cones and leaves in great vari- 

 ety, and from various localities, are most faithful copies of 

 the representatives of G. Europccus figured by Prof. Heer, 

 including the two forms formerly known as G. Un-g;eri and 

 G. EuropcBUs. On the West coast, however, nothing has 

 yet been found which corresponds to the typical G. Euro- 

 pccus with its ajipressed foliage rounded and obtuse, its 

 cone scales regularly fluted and scalloped, etc. 



The extreme western plant comes nearer G. Ungeri, and 

 has a very ditl'erent aspect; and yet if it is true, as Heer 

 supposes, that G. Europccus and G. Uug-eri are only varie- 

 ties of the same species, the specimens from Washington 

 Territory and Nebraska may very well belong to the same 

 plant, and that be undistinguishable from G. Europccus. 



