384 FOSSIL PLANTS AT (ENINGEN. 



No distinct catalogues of plants found in the Pliocene, 

 or most recent periods of the Te rtiary series, have yet been 

 published. 



the natural course of vegetation ; there are also branches with leaves on 

 them, such as may have been torn from trees by stormy weather ; ripe seed 

 vessels ; and the persistent calix of many blossoms. 



The greater part of the fossil plants at CEningen (about two-thirds) be- 

 long to Genera which still grow in that neighbourhood; but their species 

 differ, and correspond more nearly with those now living in North America, 

 than with any European species, the fossil Poplars afford an example of this 

 kind. 



On the other hand, there are some Genera, which do not exist in the pre- 

 sent Flora of Germany, e. g. the Genus Diospyros ; and others not in that 

 of Europe, e. g. Taxodium, Liquidambar, Juglans, Gleditschia. 



Judging from the proportions in which their remains occur. Poplars, Wil- 

 lows, and Maples were the predominating foliaceous trees in the former 

 Flora of (Eningen. Of two very abundant fossil species, one, (Populus 

 latior,) resembles the modern Canada Poplar ; the other, (Populus ovalis) 

 resembles the Balsam Poplar of North America. 



The determination of the species of fossil Willows is more difficult. One 

 of these (Salixangustifolia) may have resembled our present Salix viminalis. 



Of the genus Acer, one species may be compared with Acer campestre, 

 another with Acer pseudoplatanus ; but the most frequent species, (Acer 

 protensum,) appears to correspond most nearly with the Acer dasycarpon of 

 Nortli America; to another species, related to Acer negundo, Mr. Braun 

 gives the name of Acer trifoliatum. A fossil species of Liquidambar (L. 

 europeum, Braun.) differs from the living Liquidambar styracifluum of 

 America, in having the narrower lobes of its leaf terminated by longer 

 points, and was the former representative of this genus in Europe. The 

 fruit of this Liqeidambar is preserved, and also that of two species of Acer 

 and one Salix. 



The fossil Linden Tree of CEningen resembled our modern large leaved 

 Linden tree (Tilia grandiflora.) 



The fossil Elm resembled a small leaved form of Ulmus campestris. 



Of two species of Juglans, one (J, falcifolia) may be compared with the 

 American J. nigra; the other, with J. Alba, and like it, probably belonged 

 to the division of nuts with bursting external shells, (Garya Nuttal.) 



Among the scarcer plants at (Eningen, is a species of Diospyros (D. bra- 

 chysepala.) A remarkable calyx of this plant is preserved, and sliows in 

 its centre tlie place where the fruit separated itself: it is distinguished from 

 the living Diospyros lotus of the South of Europe by blunter and shorter sec- 

 tions. 



