The Pliocene Flora of Transcaucasia. 297 



Eleagnaceae have also been found here ; e.g. Eleagnm acuminata 

 We))., a common form in upper Miocene formations of Europe. 



Among species with deciduous leaves occurs Rhanmus rectinervis 

 Hecr, a type known only in the lower Miocene of Switzerland and 

 Germany. There is also a new form of the genus Berchemia, very 

 like the upper Miocene form Berchemia muUinervis A.Br., found in 

 Switzerland. This species I propose to name B. Winogradowi sp. nov. 

 Among the willows found in this locality may be mentioned Salix 

 media Heer, a willow recorded from the upper Miocene of Switzer- 

 land and some other places in Europe. It is possible that this willow 

 with Andromeda protogaea Ung. composed the underwood of the 

 original forest. 



The rush Pkragmites oeningensis A.Br., grew among grass plants 

 in damp forest situations ; this is a kmd of rush widely spread in 

 the Miocene of Europe and north Asiatic countries. Some Gramineae, 

 sedges, and various ferns are also met with. There was also found 

 a fragment of the fan palm of the Chamaerops type not yet definitely 

 determinated .1 Among ferns it h^is been possible to recognize the 

 following : Aspidium Megni Heer, a species found in the upper 

 Miocene of Switzerland and iii other European localities, Lastraea 

 (Goniopteris) polypodioides Ett., a form obtaiiied from lower Miocene 

 beds in Europe, in some Slavonic Provinces (Dalmatia), Pteris 

 urophylloides sp. nov. A species very like Pteris Vrophylla Ung., 

 from the lower and middle Miocene of Europe. Pteris oeningensis 

 Ung., a characteristic species of the upper Miocene of Germany 

 and Europe. 



The composition of the " Fossil Wood " was very varied. As 

 far as we could judge from the collection of leaves the flora of the 

 " Fossil Wood " had the character and position of a tropical forest 

 on the slopes of a volcano. The volcanic eruption of cinders and 

 lava gradually buried the neighbouring forests and torrents of mud 

 carried the results of the eruption to the forest. This again over- 

 spread and cemented the layers of fallen cinders. Plants living near 

 the volcano were burnt and the leaves converted uato fine charcoal, 

 which is very common in tuffs, and into pieces of half-burnt wood, 

 not uncommon in these beds. The greater part of the plant debris 

 is buried in the tuft's. Large trunks which occur here in situ do 

 not show any traces of fire or of carbonization before petrifaction, 

 but the smaller branches appear to have been charred before they 

 were petrified. There is no substantial difference in the floras of 

 the upper and lower beds of andesite tuffs. 



The torrents of lava covering the tuffs containing remains of 

 plants produced the impression that the accumulation of volcanic 

 material, which is now cut through by the River Dzundza, occurred 



^ Marion states tliat Clamaeropf. liumilis existed in middle Pliocene 

 times near Marseilles : Saporta, L'Orioine paleontologique des arhres, Paris^ 

 1888, p. 120. 



