F. W. Berry — Pleistocene Flora of Alabama. 391 



Lower Cretaceous (Cape Fear Formation). 



3. Compact, somewhat arkosic and micaceous sand, 



much eroded 0-5 feet 



The following species were identified from this outcrop : 

 Fagus amerieana, Quercus nigra, Platanus oooidentalis, and 

 Vaccinium arboretim. 



There follows a briefly annotated enumeration of the species 

 collected in systematic order, with citations of the fossil records 

 of the various forms. 



OSMUXDA SPECTABILIS WlLLD. 



The royal fern frequents swamps and openings and borders 

 of wet woods. It ranges from Canada to Mexico and probably 

 into South America, but is often confused with the old world 

 Osmunda regalis Linne. In the existing Alabama flora it is 

 common throughout the State. None of the existing species 

 of Osmunda, which are six or eight in number, have here- 

 tofore been found fossil, although Hollick records'* masses of 

 rootlets attached to rhizomes in the swamp deposits of the Tal- 

 bot formation in Maryland, which are almost certainly refer- 

 able to Osmunda. The present record is based upon a single 

 specimen showing a part of a pinnule and exhibiting the char- 

 acteristic venation and marginal characters of this species found 

 at locality No. 4. 



Taxodium distichum (Linne) Rich. 



Holmes. Journ. Elisha Mitchell Soe. for 1884-85, p. 92, 1885. 



Berry. Torreya, vol. vi. p. 89, 1906. Jonr. Geol., vol. xv, p. 339, 1907. 



Hollick, Md. Geol. Surv., Pli. and Pleist., pp. 218, 237, pi. 68, 1906. 



The cypress was probably one of the commonest forest trees 

 of the Pleistocene from New Jersey southward, at least it is the 

 one most frequently met with, having been recorded from New 

 Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. 

 The more northerly occurrences probably represent inter and 

 post glacial warm periods. The recent collections show no 

 trace of this species except at locality No. 2, where impressions 

 of the detached leaves of this species are common in the clays 



Pixus taeda Linne. 



In the existing flora the Loblolly pine extends from Dela- 

 ware and Maryland to Florida and Texas. In the northern 

 part of its range it is confined to the coastal plain but farther 

 south it spreads over the Piedmont Plateau and into the 

 mountain region. In the Pleistocene it apparently extended 

 farther north than at the present time since seeds which are 



* Hollick, Md. Geol. Surv., Pli. and Pleist., p. 214, pi. 67, fig. 3, 1906. 



