*^^J schlotheim's classification. 427 



tion to fossil plants, through the " indigenous " and " exotic " stages 

 incident to the diluvian theory and back to this humble beginning on a 

 true scientific basis as a systematic science, and it is properly from the 

 appearance of this unpretentious memoir in an American scientific serial 

 that paleobotany as a systematic branch of natural history should date 

 {supra, p. 403). 



Baron von Schlotheim, in his " Flora der Vorwelt" (1804), had made 

 no attempt to assign names to the forms he so admirably figured, but 

 confines himself to questioning and criticising the "indigenous" and 

 " exotic" names -which they had received from the early authors. " If 

 the author had established a nomenclature for the plants which he de- 

 scribed," said Brongniart, " his work would have become the basis of all 

 the works which have since been produced on the same subject." ^'^ But 

 it was scarcely too late for him still to acquire this honor, for between 

 this first work and the appearance of his " Petrefactenkunde " (1820) no 

 important treatise on fossil plants other than Steinhauer's memoir was 

 published, and in this second work, which, as we have already seen, so 

 far, at least, as the treatment of vegetable remains was concerned, was 

 merely the continuation of the first which had been interrupted by 

 political troubles, a systematic nomenclature was adopted and carried 

 out in detail {supra, p. 404). He styled the entire vegetable kingdom 

 so far as fossils are concerned, Phytolithes, without, however, employing 

 as Steinhauer had done, the term Phytolithus as a genus. Out of it he 

 carves five classes, though he does not so denominate them. Under two 

 of these larger divisionsfall subordinate ones which maybe called orders 

 the other three remaining undivided with an ordinal and even generic 

 rank of their own. The following is the outline of Schlotheim's system : 



I. Dendrolithes.2« 



A. Lithoxylithes. 



B. Lithanthracites. 



C. Bibliolithes. 

 II. Botanilithes. 



m. Phytotypolithes. 



a.) Palmacites. 



b.) Casuarinites. 



c.) Calamites. 



d.) Filicites. 



e.) Lycopodiolithes. 



/.) Poacites. 

 rv. Carpolithes. 

 V. Anthotypolithes. 



Under his Dendrolithes and Botanilithes no species are introduced, 

 but certain forjns are described, compared, and discussed. Especially 



2™ Prodrome, p. 3. 



*"> The anglicized form's are here employed as Schlotheim employed the German 

 forms : DendrolUhen, JUthoanylithen, etc. 



