382 ABIETINEAE [CH. 



that Nathorst's term is more appropriate for specimens which do 

 not afford evidence of closer affinity to Pinus than to other genera 

 of the Abietineae. In cases where the specimens may reasonably 

 be regarded as more nearly allied to Pinus than to any other genus 

 the designation Pinites may be added. 



There can be no question of the abundance of Abietineous 

 Conifers in Tertiary floras and it is equally true that cones of the 

 Pityostrobus type are widely spread in Lower Cretaceous strata 

 especially in Europe. The evidence furnished by cones clearly 

 points to the existence in Upper Jurassic floras of Conifers closely 

 resembling in the general form of their strobili recent members 

 of the Abietineae. The wide distribution of cone-scales and cones 

 of the Araucarian type in Middle Jurassic floras is in striking con- 

 trast to the scarcity of cones of the Abietineous form in rocks older 

 than the uppermost Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous series. 



Pityostrobus dejectus (Carruthers). 



Carruthers 1 speaks of this Kimeridge cone from Dorsetshire as 

 the oldest example of a Pine-cone. It is represented by a single 

 imperfectly preserved specimen, 2x2 cm., of globular form with 

 partially destroyed broad and thin cone-scales: though it super- 

 ficially resembles some recent Abietineous cones there is scarcely 

 enough evidence to warrant its inclusion in the Abietineae. The 

 cone was first described as Pinites depresses but owing to the 

 previous use of that specific name by Coemans it was re-named 

 P. dejectus 2 . 



Pityostrobus strobiformis (Fliche and Zeiller). 



A species, described as Pinites strobiformis 3 , from Portlandian 

 rocks near Boulogne founded on a single incomplete cone similar 

 in form and in the possession of apparently flat, imbricate, scales 

 to Pinus excelsa (cf. fig. 704, p. 154). The surface-features are not 

 shown on the weathered specimen and there is no definite informa- 

 tion with regard to the number or position of the seeds, but as the 

 authors of the species state the narrow elongate and slightly curved 

 form of the cone, which was probably about 17 cm. long, affords a 

 valid reason for comparison with recent Pines. 



1 Carruthers (69 2 ) p. 2, PI. n. fig. 10. 2 Ibid. (71) p. 2. 



3 Fliche and Zeiller (04) p. 802, PI. xix. fig. 6. 



