512 FOSSIL PALMS. 
Fossil Palms, 
The discovery of the remains of Pahii Trees 
in the Brown-coal of Germany has been already 
ments of Ferns and Grasses, and many remains of aquatic plants : 
all the rest belong to Dicotyledonous, and Gymnospermous 
ligneous plants. 
Among these remains are many single leaves, apparently 
dropped in the natural course of vegetation ; there are also 
branches with leaves on them, such as may have been torn from 
trees by stormy weather ; ripe seed vessels ; and the persistent 
calix of many blossoms. 
The greater part of the fossil plants at GEningen (about two 
thirds) belong to Genera which still grow in that neighbourhood; 
but their species differ, and correspond more nearly with those 
now living in North America, than with any European species, 
the fossil Poplars afford an example of this kind. 
On the other hand, there are some Genera, which do not exist 
in the present Flora of Germany, e. g. the Genus Diospyros ; and 
others not in that of Europe, e. g. Taxodium, Liquidambar, 
Juglans, Gleditschia. 
Judging from the proportions in which their remains occur, 
Poplars, Willows, and Maples were the predominating foliaceous 
trees in the former Flora of (Eningen. Of two very abundant 
fossil species, one, (Populus latior,) resembles the modern Canada 
Poplar ; the other, (Populus ovalis) resembles the Balsam Poplar 
of North America. 
The determination of the species of fossil Willows is more dif- 
ficult. One of these (Salix angustifolia) may have resembled 
our present Salix viminalis. 
Of the genus Acer, one species may be compared with Acer 
campestre, another with Acer pseudoplatanus ; but the most fre- 
quent species, (Acer protensum,) appears to correspond most 
nearly with the Acer dasycarpon of North America ; to another 
