176 THE SCOTTISH BOTANICAL REVIEW 



xvii. Bromeliacecs. 



Equally unsupported by fossil evidence is the existence of fossil 

 pine apples, or Bromeliacese, in Tertiary beds. The fossil named 

 Bromelia gattdifii, by Heer, from the Tertiary of Lausanne, which he 

 compares with the South American Fuya, is extremely doubtful. 



VI. LiLIIFLOR/E. 



xix. Juncace(Z. 



Some forms, referred to rushes or Juncacese, are described by Heer 

 from the Upper Miocene of CEningen, e.g. Jidicus retractus, J. 

 articularius. 



XX. LiliacecB. 



Several fossils, amongst Liliaceae, have been referred to Yucca^ 

 but all except perhaps Y. cartieri, Heer, Molasse d'Aar and Wangen, 

 are doubtful. 



Others have been attributed to Dracana, dragon tree, but with 

 the exception perhaps of D. narbonensis, Sap., Oligocene, Armissan, 

 they are very problematic, and in some cases not monocotyledonous. 

 The species cited may not be Draccetia but Yucca. A fossil aloe is 

 referred to the provisional genus Agavites. 



A few fossils have been referred to Smilacese. To these may 

 belong some forms of Maiatithemophyllum. Conwentz describes 

 the flower of Smilax baliica, from the amber of Samland, and in the 

 Oligocene and Miocene we have ^. hastata, S. grandifolia, etc., whilst 

 S. aspera^ L., is found in the Glacial beds of Tuscany. 



xxii. DioscoridecB. 



Of the Miocene fossils called Dioscorites, regarded as related to 

 Dioscorea (yam), most are exceedingly unsatisfactory. The best 

 example is named by Weber, Afaiatithemophyllum petiolatum, from 

 the Tertiary of Bonn. 



xxiv. Iridacece. 



In Tertiary beds again we meet with some fossils having a general 

 resemblance to Iris. Thus Iris escheri, Heer, Tertiary of (Eningen, 

 has a very similar type of leaf and rhizome to that of the recent Iris. 



VII. SCITAMINE^. 



XXV. Musacece. 



A few plants have been referred to Scitaminese (plantain, ginger, 

 cannas, etc.). Thus Saporta has described from the Eocene of Aix 

 and Italy plants which he calls Musa speciosiim, and M. iongcBVum. 



^ The earlier Palaeozoic and Mesozoic Yuccites are doubtless leaves of Cordaites, 

 etc., but see Arber, E.A.N. "Trans, Linn. Soc.,"vcI. vii., 1907, p. 109. 



