APR "899 



CONTRIBUTION TO THE FOSSIL FLORA OF 

 FLORISSANT, COLORADO.* 



Walter C. G. Kirchner. 



The region about Florissant, Colorado, has become famous 

 for its prolific beds of plants and insects, and is regarded with 

 much interest by the paleontologist. The remarks which 

 follow are based on the results of a trip to this region and also 

 on the examination of an interesting collection of fossil plants 

 which were obtained from the same locality. The collection, 

 which includes many hundred specimens, was made by Dr. 

 G. Hambach and is now in the possession of Washington 

 University. 



A careful investigation of the material has led to the com- 

 pilation of a catalogue of the fossil plants found at Florissant, 

 and has shown that the collection contains several species 

 which have not hitherto been described. The collection also 

 contains a few plants which, if not entirely new, have not 

 been mentioned as being found at Florissant. 



The first published account of the region about Florissant 

 is found in the report of Mr. A. C. Peale on the geology of 

 Hayden Park. The account is short and makes mention of 

 only a few fossil plants. A better account is found in a report 

 by Professor Samuel H. Scudder, entitled "The Tertiary 

 Lake basin at Florissant, Colorado, between South and Hay- 

 den Parks." This report gives a detailed account of the 

 geology of the place and an interesting synopsis of its pale- 

 ontology. Mr. Leo Lesquereux, who for a number of years 

 was the government paleontologist, has done most toward 

 contributing to a knowledge of the fossil flora of the Western 

 States and Territories. His works have proved an invaluable 

 aid. 



* Presented In abstract before The Academy of Science of St. Louis, June 

 6, 1898. 



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