1558 PHANEROGAMS. 



Diospyros (Ebony), now mainly tropical, is represented by a few 

 species in the Dakota and Greenland Cretaceous, is very abundant 

 in the Upper Eocene of Provence, but has almost disappeared from 

 Europe in the Miocene. Finally, in the Styracacece, the existing 

 Asiatic and American genus Symplocos dates from the Lower Eocene 

 of Europe. 



Order 4. Contortve. — In this order the Gentianacece (Gentians) 

 are unknown before the Pleistocene. In the Oleacece, which in- 

 cludes most of the European trees belonging to the present division, 

 Olea (Olive) makes its appearance in the Eocene of Provence ; 

 while the Australian genus Notelcea is recorded from the Eocene 

 and Miocene of the Continent ; and Fraxinus (Ash) occurs as far 

 back as the Laramie Cretaceous. In the Apocyanacece we may 

 mention Nerium, from the European Cretaceous and Tertiary, and 

 Taberncemontana, from the Eocene and Miocene ; together with the 

 extinct Echitonium, of the Eocene, and Apocynophyllum, of the Cre- 

 taceous and Tertiary. 



Order 5. Tubiflor^e. — In the Convolvulaceae the tropical genus 

 Parana occurs in the Upper Miocene of CEningen, and the some- 

 what older Tertiary of Croatia ; while plants from the upper lignites 

 of Winterhafen have been referred to Convolvulus. It is very doubt- 

 ful if the Asperifoliacece are represented in a fossil condition, while 

 the SolanacecE (Night-shade, Potato, Tomato, Tobacco, &c), are 

 unknown. 1 



Order 6. Labiatiflor^e. — The only family of this order of 

 which we have any certain palaeontological record is that of the 

 Bignoniacece, in which we have representatives of the existing 

 American genus Catalpa in the Laramie Cretaceous, and perhaps 

 in the European Tertiaries. The occurrence of Bignonia in the 

 latter is very doubtful. 



Order 7. Campanulin^e. — This group, containing the Cam- 

 panulas, Gourds, &c, seems to be unknown before the present 

 epoch. 



Order 8. Rubiin^e. — In this order the Rubiacece. are represented 

 in the Miocene of Bonn by the extinct Rubiacites ; and we have 

 evidence of the existence of the handsome Asiatic and African 

 genus Gardenia in the Miocene of CEningen and the Lower Eocene 

 of the Soissonais. In the Caprifoliacecs, the widely-spread genus 

 Viburnum is represented by a number of species in the Laramie 

 Cretaceous, and less commonly in the Tertiaries. The Miocene of 

 CEningen has yielded remains of Lonicera. 



Suborder 8. Aggregate. — With the specialised Compositce we 

 come to the end of our brief survey of the palgeontological history 

 of the Vegetable Kingdom. These plants are characterised by the 



1 The Eocene Solanites does not belong to this family. 



