90 



PAL^ONTOLOGIOAL BOTANY. 



Sheppey increase the number of Phanerogamous plants, only 

 a small proportion of which have as yet been described. This 

 is an exceptional locality, and the deposit in which the fruits 

 occur is probably the silt found at the mouth of a large river 

 which flowed, like the Nile, from tropical regions towards the 

 north. The number of plants as given by Brongniart is much 

 smaller than that mentioned by Unger (p. 23). The latter 

 includes in his enumeration a considerable amount of uncer- 

 tain species. 



The Eocene epoch in general is characterised by the predo- 

 minance of Alg^ and marine Naiadace^, such as Caulinites and 

 Zosterites ; by numerous Conifers, the greater part resembling 

 existing genera among the Cupressine^, and appearing in the 

 form of Juniperites, Thuites, Cupressinites (Plate II. Figs. 8, 9), 

 Callitrites, Frenelites, and Solenostrobus ; by the existence of a 



number of extra-European 

 forms, especially of fruits. 

 W\ such as Nipadites, Legu- 

 ^'''^' minosites, Cucumites, and 

 Hightea ; and by the pre- 

 sence of some large species 

 of Palm belonging to the 

 genera Flabellaria and 

 Palmacites (Fig. 93). 



Unger says that the 

 Eocene flora has resembled 

 in many respects that of 

 the present Australian vegetation. He gives the following 

 genera as occurring at the Eocene epoch : — Araucaria, Podo- 

 carpus, Libocedrus, Callitris, Casuarina, Pterocarpus, Dre- 

 panocarpus, Centrolobium, Dalbergia, Cassia, Cfesalpinia, 

 Bauhinia, Copaifera, Entada, Acacia, Mimosa, Inga. (See- 

 mann's Journal of Bot. vol. iii. p. 43.) Amber is considered 



Fig. 93. Palmacites Lamanonis. Fan-shaped (flabellate) leaf of a 

 Palm. 



