90 STUDIES IN GEOLOGY, No. 4 



Tertiary than at present since it is found in the Eocene of 

 the Mississippi embayment as far north of its existing range 

 as this Chilean occurrence is south of it. 



The fragment which Engelhardt refers to the Gnetalean 

 genus Ephedra and compares with the existing Ephedra 

 americana H. B. and Hphedra triandra Tul. is altogether 

 doubtful and I cannot regard it as proving the occurrence 

 of this genus in the Chilean- fossil flora. 



The two species of Coniferales recorded, namely Sequoia 

 chilensis and Araucaria araucoensis are conclusive represen- 

 tatives of the genera Sequoia and Araucaria and it would be 

 spectacular to find forms, which In the existing flora are sep- 

 arated by 75 of latitude, associated in southern Chile, were 

 it not for the fact that both genera are today represented by 

 what might be termed living fossils the circumscribed 

 descendants of once cosmopolitan types. I was disposed to 

 consider the Sequoia as probably a Taxodium until I had 

 seen the actual specimens. I found it abundant at Coronel, 

 Lota and Curanilahue and satisfied myseli that it was a 

 Sequoia, which thus represents the farthest known southern 

 occurrences of authentic specimens of that interesting genus. 



The Araucaria is represented by abundant and conclusive 

 material not greatly different from existing species. In try- 

 ing to picture the ecology and affinities of this fossil flora 

 both of these genera may be safely ignored since both repre- 

 sent relics of other and earlier days, survivals whose physi- 

 ological requirements cannot be measured by comparisons 

 such as can be instituted among the much younger dicotyle- 

 dons of this flora. The geologic history of Sequoia has 

 been summarized in previous publications 13 and need not be 

 repeated in the present connection. The history of the 

 Araucariales has also been discussed 14 and I have plotted the 



13 Berry, E. W., Pop. Sci. Monthly, vol. 67, pp. 465-474, 1905. Nat 

 Hist, vol. 20, pp. 152-155, 1920. 

 "Berry, E. W., Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, vol. 35, pp. 249-260, 1908. 



