Maeyland Geological Stjbvex 251 



FRANCE 



In contrast with both older and younger horizons the Upper Cretaceous 

 of France is relatively poor in plant remains including, as it does, only 

 the small florules of the Cenomanian of Anjou, the Argonne, and the 

 lie d'Aix; the Turonian of Bagnols and Mede near Les Martigues (Var) ; 

 the Emscherian of Beausset near Toulon ; and the Aturian of the lignites 

 of Puveau (Bouches-du-Ehone). 



The contention that the Sabalites sandstone which is widespread in 

 western France is of Senonian age was vigorously maintained by Welsch.' 

 This sandstone has been shown by Bigot 2 to be underlain at Fye by 

 Eocene, and it is now commonly referred to the Bartonian. The flora is 

 considerable and has been described in numerous papers by Crie. 



Following are lists of the plants recorded from the Upper Cretaceous: 



Cenomanian 



Brongniart 3 in 1823 described the following indefinite remains from 



the lie d'Aix near La Bochelle : 



Fucoides strictus Brongniart 

 Fucoides tuberculosus Brongniart 

 Zosterites ~bellovisana Brongniart 

 Zosterites cauliniwfolia Brongniart 

 Zosterites elongata Brongniart 

 Zosterites lineata Brongniart 

 Zosterites ortigniana Brongniart 



The latter five supposed forms of Zosterites were united in a single 



species by both Unger (1850) and Schimper (1870). Crie 4 in 1890 



added descriptions of the two following species based on the petrified 



wood to the foregoing meager list : 



Araucarioxylon gardoniense Crie 

 Cedroxylon gardoniense Crie 



1 Welsch, J., Sur l'age Senonien des gres a Sabalites andegavensis de l'ouest 

 de la France. Comptes rendus Acad. Sci., tome cxxv, 1897, pp. 667-669. 



2 Bigot, A., Bull. Soc. geol. de France (iii), tome xxv, 1897, p. 876. 



3 Brongniart, A., Observations sur le Fucoides et quelques autres plantes 

 marines fossiles. Mern. Soc. Hist. nat. de Paris, tome i, 1823, p. 315, pi. xxi, 

 figs. 5-8. 



1 Crie, L., Recherches sur les vegetaux fossiles de rile d'Aix (Charente 

 Inferieure) Ann. Soc. Sci. Nat. Charente Infer. No. 26, 1890, pp. 231-237, pis. i, ii. 



