330 CTTPRBSSINBAB [CH- 



Spitzbergen as G. TJngeri may be fragments of Conifers more 

 closely allied to Sequoia. 



The fossils originally referred by Lesquereux^ to Glyptostrobus 

 gracillimus from tke Dakota group were afterwards transferred by 

 him to Frenelites Reichii, at a later date removed by Newberry to 

 Sequoia and finally described by Jeffrey^ as Geinitzia gracillima. 



Neglecting records based on sterile specimens only it is clear 

 that Conifers closely allied to Taxodium and especially to Glypto- 

 strobus heterophyllus of China were abundant in the Tertiary floras 

 of Europe. 



Taxodites miocenicum (= Taxodium distichum miocenicum Heer). 



Numerous specimens of branches and some male and female 

 flowers have been described by Heer^ from Miocene beds in Green- 

 land, SpitzbergeUj Grinnell Land, Northern Siberia, and Sachahn 

 Island as Taxodium distichum miocenicum. Though in certain cases 

 the material is too imperfect to determine with accuracy, some of 

 the fossils bear a striking resemblance to Taxodium distichum both 

 as regards vegetative features and cones. In this species Heer 

 includes specimens originally named by Sternberg Phyllites dubius 

 and afterwards transferred to Taxodium. The shoots bear di- 

 stichous, linear leaves, reaching a length of 2 cm. and 2 — 3 mm. 

 broad. The absence of a decurrent base is spoken of as a character 

 distinguishing Taxodium from Sequoia Langsdorfii. Specimens 

 from Grinnell Land now in the Dublin Museum described by Heer 

 as Taxodium distichum miocenicum bear leaves contracted at the 

 base but not decurrent. A specimen from Grinnell Land said to be 

 a male inflorescence* consists of an a^is bearing a few oval buds 

 3 mm. long which may possibly be groups of microsporophylls, but 

 the figures are far from convincing. Nathorst^ speaks of the 

 occurrence of foliage-shoots, flowers, and seeds in the Tertiary 

 Taxodium shales of Spitzbergen. Ettingshausen^ figures shoots 

 and flowers from Bihn as Taxodium dubium which are in all 

 probability closely alHed to the recent species. Goeppert and 



1 Newberry and Hoffiok (95) PI. ix. ^ Jeffrey (11). 



" Heer (68) i. Pl.s. n., xn„ xlv.; (71) Pis. in., iv., etc.; (77) Pis. xin., xxv.; 

 (78) Pis. vm., IX. ; (83) Pis. Lxx., etc. 



« Heer (68) i. PI. n.; Schimper and Schenk (90) A. p. 294, fig. 203. 



5 Nathorst (IP) p. 223. " Ettingshausen (67=) PI. X. 



