30 THE FLORA OF THE AMBOY CLAYS. 
upper, and throughout the continent of Europe where the plants of the 
upper half of the Cretaceous system have been gathered. 
BOTANICAL CHARACTER OF THE FLORA. 
In the present memoir, including fruits and flowers, 156 species of 
plants are described. Of these, one is apparently a seaweed (Chondrites 
flecuosus). Hausmannia and Czekanowskia are of uncertain botanical affini- 
ties, and Baiera, of which, as of the others mentioned, we have one species, 
is probably a conifer. Leaving out these doubtful elements, we find that 
of ferns there are 8 species; of conifers, 17; of cycads, 5; and all the 
others are dicotyledonous angiosperms. Of these, as has been already 
mentioned, the botanical rank is high—as high, probably, as that of an 
indiscriminate selection from the same number of arborescent plants taken 
from the living flora of the State of New Jersey would be. Hereafter, 
when more material shall have been gathered and this more carefully and 
wisely studied, it is probable that some changes will be required in the 
botanical balance of this flora; but it is evident that no discoveries hereafter 
to be made will greatly change its aspects. Changes will be made in the 
genera enumerated, species will be united or broken up, and the addition of 
groups of plants from layers which have furnished us little or nothing will 
doubtless color the result; but we can hardly imagine that the conclusions 
here announced will be greatly modified. 
As we look over the subjoined list of plants it will be seen that among 
them there are no palms. This is in accordance with all the observations 
hitherto made elsewhere upon the flora of the Lower and Middle Cretace- 
ous. Mr. Lesquereux has doubtfully announced the discovery of a palm 
(Flabellaria? minima) in the Dakota group of the West (Cret. Flora, p. 56, 
Pl. XXX, fig. 12), but by reference to his figure and description it will be 
seen that no important conclusion can be based upon material so doubtful. 
We may say, therefore, that up to the present time no remains of palms 
have certainly been found in the Middle and Lower Cretaceous rocks. 
This is one of the many surprises we meet with in this connection, since 
palms are considerably lower in the botanical scale than the dicotyledonous 
plants, the remains of which are here so abundant, and it may perhaps be 
