The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-07-08
REMARKABLE FLORA
OF EARLY WORLD
Fossil Trees and Plants of Millions of
Years Ago Found in South
Carolina And Georgia.

|
BY a count of the annual rings in the
trunk of one of the giant sequoias oil
! California, il has been ascertained that
nearly 5000 years, or the major por-
ton of recorded human history, has
passed across the stage since that tree
was Seeding. But, long as this period
seems when gagged by human achieve
ment, it is fraction of time almost too
small to be measured when compared
with the remote geologic age during
which certain of the ancestors OF the
! California giant tree were living along
our Atlantic coast. The ancient vege-
tation 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 in
vestigation by Edward Wilbuer- Berry,
report on which has just been published
by the United States geological sur
vey as professional state 81. The ear
lier OF these fossil iloras, that of the
Upper Cretaceous, embraces one hundred
species of wholly extinct plants, and as
the majority OF them are believed TO
have been trees or shrubs, it is inter
esting to compare them with the yegeta-
ton now living in the same area.
In addition TO the sequoia or big
tree" now confined to the Pacific coast,
there were three kinds of araucarias or
Norfolk island pines, which at the pres
ent time live only in South America
and Australia; a pine with the leaves
in clusters of three as in the living pitch
pine, and number of cypress-like trees
which were once widely spread over the
world but are now extinct. 1here was
also fan palm with very large leaves,
which was perhaps the remote ancestor
of the palmetto. Among the deciduous
trees there were wax berries tMyrical
of two kinds walnuts, many willows
with long, narrow leaves, oaks OF the
type of the living black oak, fig trees OF
many kinds, and several magolias.
Among the smaller trees or shrubs there
were soapberries (Sapindus,l bittersweet
sumae laurels, and einnamons nearest 70
forms now confined to the old world,
and three kinds of eucalyptus, the living
representatives OF which are now native
Of Australia. The remote ancestors OF
the persimmon we're also present, as
well as a number OF other kinds that
are without vernacular names.
From the careful study OF this ancient
fora which has been preserved IN FOSSIL
form in the rocks, il has been possible
to draw certain tentative though appar-
emily reasonable conclusions as to the
conditions which prevailed in South Car
olina and Georgia when it was growing.
These indicate that shallow seas ex-
tended inland over 100 miles from the
present Atlantic coast that there was
considerable elevation and relief of the
piedomont area to the west; that the
river gradients were high and the
streams numerous and more or less tor
rental in character; and that there were
swamps along the lower courses OF the
streams.
The fossil plants indicate that there
was mild though not strictly tropi-
cal climate, without marked seasonal
changes in fact, there is no evidence
that frost occurred. The rainfall was
abundant. as shown by the general char
aeter of the fora, as well as by certain
features observed on some OF the leaves
and known as the dripping points"
The later or Eoeene fora has been
found only in the state OF Georgia and
is relatively small, as it numbers only
IL species.
All the species represent northward
migrants along the Eocene seacoast from
Equatorial America. They include West
Indian palms, plants of the wonderful
mangrove swamps that skirt the tidal
shores in the tropic OF both hemi-
sphere, and remains of the golden fern
whose present day descendants lead
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.