754 FLOBA OF THE EOCENE AND MIOCENE EPOCHS. 



by numerous Coniferse, the greater part resembling existing genera 

 among the Cupressinese, and appearing in the form of Juniperites, 

 Thuites, Cupressites, Callitrites, Prenelites, and Solenostrobus ; by the 

 existence of a number of extra^European forms, especially of fruits, 

 such as Mpadites, Leguminosites, Cucumites, and Hightea ; and by 

 the presence of some large species of Palm belonging to the genera 

 PlabeUaria and Palmacites. TJnger says that the Eocene flora has 

 resembled in many respects that of the present Australian vegetation. 

 He gives the following genera as occurring at the Eocene epoch : — 

 Araucaria, Podocarpus, Libocedrus, Oallitris, Casuarina, Pterocarpus, 

 Drepanocarpus, Centrolobium, Dalbergia, Cassia, Csesalpinea, Bauhinia, 

 Copaifera, Entada, Acacia, Mimosa, Inga. Amber is considered to 

 be the produce of many Coniferee of this epoch, such as Pence succini- 

 fera or Pinites succinifera, and Pinus Einkianus. It occurs in East 

 Prussia in great quantity, and it is said that many pieces of fossil 

 wood occur there, which, when moderately heated, give out a decided 

 smeU of amber. Connected with these beds are found cones belonging 

 to Pinites sylvestrina and P. Pumilio, Miocene species nearly allied 

 to the living Pinus ; others to Pinites Thomasianus and P. brachy- 

 lepis. Goeppert contrasts the present flora of Germany and that of 

 the Amber epoch as follows : — 



Gei-man Flora. Amber Flora. 

 Cryptogamese 

 Phanerogamese 



Cupuliferffi 

 Ericaceie 



In the Lower Eocene of Heme Bay, Carruthers found Osmundites 

 Bowkeri. Berkeley has detected in amber fossil fungi, which he has 

 named PeniciHium curtipes, Brachycladium Thomasinum, and Strepto- 

 thrix spiralis. Some Characese are also met with, as Ohara medica- 

 ginula and 0. prisca, with a fossil called Gyrogonites, the nucule or 

 the fructification of these plants. Carpolithes ovatus, a minute seed- 

 vessel, occurs in the Eocene beds of Lewisham. It is probably allied 

 to the sporangium of a fern. Another small fruit, of a similar nature, 

 called Folliculites minutulus,. occurs in the Bovey Tracey coal, which 

 belongs to the Tertiary beds. 



The most striking characters of the Miocene epoch consist in the 

 mixture of exotic forms of warm regions with those of temperate cli- 

 mates, linger says that it resembles that of the southern part of 

 North America. Thus we meet with Palms, such as species of Fla- 

 bellaria and Phoenicites, a kind of Bamboo called Bambusium sepul- 

 tum, Lauracese, as Daphnogene and Laurus ; Combretaceae, as Getonia 

 and Terminalia ; Leguminosae, as Phaseolites, Desmodophyllum, Doli- 



