62 Prof. O. Heer on the Miocene Flora 



derived from these explorations have been deposited in various 

 museums, amongst others in those of Dublin, London, Copen- 

 hagen, and Stockholm. These precious materials have been 

 placed at mj disposal ; and thus I have been enabled to ex- 

 amine a great quantity of fossil plants found in the north of 

 Canada, near the Mackenzie River, on Banks Land, in North 

 Greenland, in Iceland, and Spitzbergen. The study of these 

 has led me to some important results with regard to the dis- 

 tribution of plants during the epochs preceding that in which 

 we live. I have also been able to draw from them some in- 

 teresting conclusions as to the climate which was then enjoyed 

 by the countries situated around the North Pole. 



The Arctic fossil Flora, in the present state of our know- 

 ledge, consists of 162 species. The Cryptogamia include 18 

 species, 9 of which are fine Ferns of large size, which pro- 

 bably covered the soil of the forests. Among the others we 

 must note some little Fungi, which then formed spots and 

 small points upon the leaves of trees, as the analogous species 

 do at the present day. Among the Phanerogamia we find 31 

 species of Coniferje, 14 species of Monocotyledons, and 99 

 species of Dicotyledons. Judging of these from the allied 

 species in existing nature, 78 of them were trees, and 50 shrubs. 

 Thus, therefore, 128 species of ligneous plants were then dif- 

 fused over the polar regions. Among the Coniferge we 

 remark Epicece, Junipers, and Pines, most of which resemble 

 American species. One of the most remarkable species is the 

 Pinus MacClurii^ very nearly related to Pinus alba of Canada. 

 Of this, MacClm-e and his companions brought back cones ob- 

 tained from Banks Land; and they observed the trunk in 

 the remarkable mountains of fossil wood discovered in that 

 country. The Miocene beds of Iceland have furnished seven 

 species belonging to Pines or Junipers. The Sequoics (Wel- 

 lingtonias) are still more abundant than the pines ; this genus 

 played a very important part in the Miocene period, and is 

 foimd fossil in Europe, Asia, and America. At the present 

 day it includes only two species {Sequoia semper mr ens and ;S^. 

 gigantea), confined exclusively to California. These are the 

 last representatives of this remarkable genus, to which belong 

 the largest trees in the world. We find four species of it in 

 the Miocene beds of the polar regions, three of which also 

 occur at the same level in Central Europe. At this period 

 Sequoia Langsdorffii was the most abundant tree in the 

 north of Greenland ; and we are acquainted not only with its 

 branches and their leaves, but also with its flowers, cones, and 

 seeds. It occurs also in the north of Canada, in Vancouver's 

 Island, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy, and is very nearly al- 



