POSSIL FLORA OP ALASKA. 573 



The next paper was read, in the absence of the author, by T. W. 

 Stanton : 



FOSSIL FLORA OF ALASKA 

 BY FRANK H. KNOWLTON 



lAbstract] * 

 CoiUents 



Page 



Introduction 573 



Historical review 573 



Systennatio enumeration of species 577 



Discussion of the flora 587 



Introjjuction 



In studying a collection of leaves from Herendeen bay and interglacial wood 

 from beneath IMnir glacier, I recently had occasion to go over the literature relat- 

 ing to the fossil flora of Alaska. This literature is somewhat widely scattered ; and 

 as a matter of personal interest and convenience, a list of the species of fossil 

 plants heretofore reported from Alaska was compiled. This list was used in deter- 

 mining the collections above mentioned ; and after completing the identifications 

 and descriptions of new species found in the collection, it was decided to present a 

 complete compilation of the fossil flora. This is done partly with the hope that it 

 may stimulate further investigation of the paleobotanj% for the distribution of the 

 plant-bearing beds, some of which are represented by single examples, indicates 

 that nmch remains to be accomplished. This is further shown by the fact that 

 every collection contains a good proportion of new species. 



I have first j^repared a historical review of works and papers relating to the 

 fossil flora of Alaska, which incidentally shows the geographical distribution of the 

 plant beds. This is followed by a systematic enumeration of the fossil plants, and 

 a discussion of the geologic age of the beds as indicated by the plants. 



Historic Aii Review 



One of the first accounts of fossil plants in Alaska was given by Dr C. Grewingkf 

 in his classical history of the northwestern coast of America. This is in the main a 

 compilation, though the sources from which he derived his information are ob- 

 scure, and I have not been able to find them. It is hardly probable that if found 

 they would prove of much value. He reported coniferous wood from the islands 

 of Kadiak and Unga and from the Alaskan peninsula, and dicotjdedons (Alnus) 

 and conifers {Taxod'mni) from Tschugatsk (Cook inlet) and Unalaschka. He also 

 mentioned a fern from Unga which he supposed to have some resemblance to 

 Nenropteris acatifuUa. It is probably the same as Osmunda doroschkiana of Goppert, 

 as no Carboniferous fossils are known from Unga. 



*The paper is printed in full and the recently founded species referred to in this abstract are 

 described and illustrated in Proc. U. S. National Museum, vol. xvii, 1803, pp. 207-240, pi. ix. 



fBeitrag zur Kennt. d. Orographischen und Geoguostischen Beschaffenheit d. Nord-West 

 Kiiste Amerikas mit Auliegenden Insein : Verhandl.d. Russ-Kais. Mineralog. Gesell. St. Petersb., 

 1848-1849; Saint Petersburg, 1850, pp. 41, 93, 97, 124. 



LXXX— Bui-L. Geol. Soc. Am., Vol. 5, 1893. 



