The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-07-14
Remarkable Flora of
the Early World.

the Early WOrlQ.
By a count Of the annual rings in
the trunk of one OF the giant seQuoias
OF California, 1t has been ascerta:ned
that nearly 5000 years, or the major
portion of recorded human history,
has passed across the stage since that
tree was a Seeding. But, hong as this
period seems when gagged by human
achievement, 1t is a fraction OF time
almost too small to be measured when
compared with the remote geologic
age during which certain Of the an
cestors of the California giant tree
The ancient vegetation which grew in
South Carolina and Georgia during
Upper Cretaceous and Eocene time
or, as biologists state, at least several
million years ago-has been made the
subject of an exhaustive investigation
by Edward WILDER Berry, report on
which has just been published by the
United States Geological Survey as
Professional Paper 81. The earlier OF
these fossil floras, that of the Upper
Cretaceous, embraces nearly one hum
and as the majority of them are be-
neved to have been trees or shrubs, it
In interesting to compare them with
the vegetation now living in the same
area.
In addition ito the sequoia or big
tree" now confined to the Pacific
coast, there were three kinds Of arau-
carias or Norfolk Island pines, which
at the present time Hive only in South
America and Australia; pine with
the leaves in clusters Of three as in
the living pitch pine. and number
of cypress-iike trees which were once
widely spread over the world but are
now extinct. There was also q fan
palm with very large leaves, which
was perhaps the remote ancestor of
the palmetto. Among the deciduous
trees there were wax berries (Myrica)
OF two kinds, walnuts, many willows
with long. narrow leaves, oak OF the
type OF the living black oak, fig trees
OF many kinds. and several magnoiias
Among the smaller trees or shrubs
there were soapberries (Sapindus),
hittersweet, sufnac. iaurels and CHINA
to the Old World, and three kinds OF
eucalyptus, the living representatives
Of which are now native to Australia.
The remote ancestors of the persim-
men were also present. as we'll as a
number Of other kinds that are with.
cut vernacular names.
From the careful study Of this an
c1ent flora which has been preserved
In fossil form in the rocks, 1t has been
possible to draw certain tentative
though apparently reasonable conclu-
sions as to the conditions which pre-
vailed in South Carolina and Georgia
when it was growing. These indicate
that shallow seas extended inland over
100 miles from the present Atlantic
coast; that there was a considerable
elevation and relief Of the Piedmont
area to the west; that the river gra-
dents were high and the streams
numerous and more or less torrential
In character; and that there were
swamps along the lower courses Of the
streams.
The fossil plants indicate that there
was q mild though no. a strictly trop-
teal climate. without marked seasonal
cnanges-in fact, there Is no evidence
that frost occurred. The rainfall was
abundant, as shown by the general
character of the flora, as well as by
certain features observed on some of
the leaves and known as the drip
ping points"
The later or Eocene flora has been
found only in the state of Georgia and
is relatively small, as it numbers only
II species.
All the species represent northward
migrants along the Eocene seacoast
from Equatorial America. They in
clude West Indian palms. plants of the
wonderful mangrove swamps that
skirt the tidal shores in the tropics of
both hemispheres. and remains of the
golden fern whose present-day de-
scendants lead a gregarious existence
in the coastal swamps of the torrid
zone. All these Eocene plants are
types Of the Florida keys, Antillean
islands. and Central American shores
and clearly indicate that in middle
Eocene time the climate Of Georgia
was much warmer than it was either
during the Upper Cretaceous epoch or
at present.
Professional paper 81 is a technical
OF the fossil plants of the
area and the geologic ages treated. A
copy can be obteined free upon appli- |
ration to the director of the Geological |
Survey, Washington, D. c.