294 J. W. Palihin— 



On the Pliocene Flora of Transcaucasia. 



By J. W. Palibin (Batoum). 



TT is well known that the existing flora of Western Caucasia is of 

 -*- great interest from the point of view of the origin of the floras 

 of Europe and Asia, as in it have survived to this day numerous 

 types of plants which were widely spread over the Northern 

 Hemisphere during Tertiary times. The Palseontological history 

 of the Tertiary Flora of the Caucasus is very meagre.^ The Pliocene 

 Flora of the Caucasus is discussed by me in my work ^ on the presence 

 of the leaves of the recent Caucasus beech-tree {Fagus orientalis 

 Lipsky) and some other species of deciduous trees and shrubs in 

 the Pliocene beds, the so-called " Aktschagyl Series ", of the 

 Elisapethpol province. It is worthy of remark that the wood was 

 found in seams interstratified with beds rich in vi ell-preserved 

 Pliocene shells, which could be determined with certainty. It was 

 proved that in the southern Caucasus there existed in Pliocene times 

 the same species of beech as at present. 



Some little time ago I learned that petrified wood occurred on 

 the boundary of the Caucasian Provinces Batoum and Tiflis, near 

 the Godersky summit. This place, known as the " Fossil Wood ", 

 contains impressions of ferns, palms and various other flowering 

 plants. It is situated on the eastern side of the watershed between 

 the Caspian and the Black Sea, on the Ime between Borjom and 

 Batoum. The river bed of Koblian-Tchai, in which the deposit 

 occurs, is situated 50 kilometres from the Black Sea coast. The 

 Godersky summit, where the fossil wood has been found, is situated 

 near the source of the Adjara Eiver, on the western slopes of the great 

 Armenian plateau, where streams rim on one side to the Black 

 Sea, on the other to the Caspian. The way to the Godersky summit 

 leads from Ahalzich down to the Benary Station, where the Ahalzich- 

 Batoum road begins. The road to the summit lies in the broad 

 valley of the Koblian-Tchai, through the large village of Adigun : 

 some 8 kilometres further the River Dzundza falls into the Koblian, 

 and the Ahalzich-Batoum road, following the bed of the little river, 



^ Professor N. Kuznetzoff mentions the following sources in his work on 

 the " Principles of the Division of the Caucasus into Phytogeographical 

 Provinces " (chapter on Fossil Floras of the Caucasus) : M6m. Acad. Imp. 

 Set. St. Petersburg, Ser. iii, Phvs. Math., oL, vol. xxiv, 20, 1, 1919 (Russian) : — 



1. J. Felix, Zeitsch. deutsch. Geol. Ges., 1894, p. 79. 



2. J. W. Palibin, Bull. Com. G6ol. St. Petersb., 1902, No. 55, p. 205. 



3. J. W. PaHbm, Verhandl. Russ. Min. Ges., Bd. xhii, Lief. 1, 1906. 



4. V. H. Engelhardt, Beitr. Paleaont. Geol. ester. -Ungarns und des Orients, 

 Bd. XV, Heft ii and iii, 1903. 



5. F. Unger, Sitzb. Akad. Wiss. Wien., bd. xi, 1853. 



In addition to these sources reference may be inade to H. Abich's paper on 

 Miocene plants from Russian Armenia : Mem. Acad. Imp. St. Petersb., 

 vol. viii (Ser. iv), 1859 ; also to W. Bogacev, Ann. Geol. et Miner, de la Ruscie, 

 vol. XV, livr. 8-9, 1913, and MSm.. du Mus. du Caucase, Ser A, No. 2, 1915, p. 69. 

 2 Bull. Mus4e du Caucase, t. viii, livr. 3-4, 1915, p. 267 (Russian). 



