84 



PAL^ONTOLOGICAL BOTANY. 



Several species of Pandanaceoiis fruits have been found 

 in Oolitic strata. Buckland described one of them as Podo- 

 carya, which is remarkable, as it consists of a single but many- 

 seeded drupe. To another form, more nearly allied to the 

 existing plants, Carruthers has given the name Kaidacarpum, 

 and has described three species. These fruits are made up of 

 a large number of single - seeded drupes. The species 

 figured (Fig. 88) is from the great Oolite, near Northampton. 



Fit?. 88. 



Fi?. 89. 



In Fig. 89 a representation is given of one of the Pan- 

 danacete, the screw-pines of the present day. 



The flora of the Wealden epoch is characterised in the 

 south of England by the abundance of the fern called Loncho- 

 pteris Mantellii, and in Germany by the predominance of the 

 Conifer denominated Abietites Linkii (Fig. 90), and the pre- 

 sence of Araucarites Pippingfordensis, as well as by numerous 

 Cycadaceas, such as species of Cycadites, Zamites, Pterophyl- 

 lum, Mantellia, Bucklandia, and a remarkable genus having a 

 fleshy fruit, and related to the ordinary Cycadaceas as Taxus 

 is to the other Coniferee, which has been fully described in 



Fig. 88. Kaidacarimm ooliticum, Carr., fruit of a fossil allied to 

 Pandanacete, from the great Oolite near Northampton. 



Fig. 89. Pandanus odoratissimus, Screw-pine, with adventitious roots. 



