156 BERRY— LOWER EOCENE FLORA OF [April 25, 



The genus Cecropia with about 40 existing species confined to 

 the tropics of South America has two species in the Aquitanian of 

 Bohemia and the Midway and Wilcox form described as Ficus sp. 

 is very probably a representative of this genus. 



The genus Pseudolmedia, with five existing species in the Amer- 

 ican tropics, has a well marked species in the Wilcox flora. As far 

 as I know it has not heretofore been recorded in the fossil state 

 although it is probable that some of the very numerous fossil species 

 of Ficus may represent Pseudolmedia. 



The genus Ficus is represented by numerous species in the Wil- 

 cox flora no less than eighteen having been described and a number 

 of these are individually abundant. They include the narrow lance- 

 eolate forms of the Ficus elastica type, with close-set laterals, as 

 well as open-veined lanceolate forms, and the shorter and broader 

 palmately veined forms. None are lobate or have toothed margins.. 

 Ficus was evidently much more abundant and varied along the Wil- 

 cox coast than it is today throughout the West Indies and more 

 nearly comparable in this respect with the display of figs in the East 

 Indies or in tropical South America. 



The number of fossil forms that have been referred to Ficus are 

 very numerous, numbering perhaps 300 species. Xone are certainly 

 known from the Lower Cretaceous, the genus Ficophyllum 10 being 

 entirely doubtful. In the Upper Cretaceous, however, Ficus is very 

 widespread and abundant, seemingly indicating a Lower Cretaceous 

 ancestry as yet unknown. The Cenomanian stage has furnished 3 

 species in Greenland, 6 along the Atlantic Coast and 24 in the interior 

 of North America, as well as 11 in Saxony, Bohemia and Moravia. 

 The succeeding Turonian stage furnishes 4 species in Bohemia and 

 the Tyrol, and several in North America (Tuscaloosa, Magothy, 

 Black Creek, Kutaw formations). Later Upper Cretaceous horizons 

 have abundant species of Ficus everywhere throughout North Amer- 

 ica and Europe as well as in Greenland, Australia and New Zealand, 

 and this cosmopolitanism continues throughout the Tertiary, there 

 being about 50 Eocene species, about 60 Oligocene species, 90 Mio- 

 cene species and 20 riiocene species. Africa is added to the record 

 in the basal Oligocene, and Asia in the Miocene. 



10 See Berry, E. W., Md. Geol. Surv., Lower Cret., 191 1, pp. 502-506. 



