Table 2.
Total plant diversity in the latest Eocene of Florissant including an updated palynological record (Bouchal, 2013; this study).
| Class/Clade/Family | Genus | Macro Fossils |
Pollen | Source | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ginkgopsida | |||||
| Ginkgoaceae | Ginkgo | x | 5 | ||
| Coniferopsida incl. Gnetales | |||||
| Cupressaceae | Chamaecyparis | C, L | 3 | ||
| Sequoia | C, B, W | x | 1, 2, 3, 5 | ||
| Taxaceae | Torreya | L | 3 | ||
| Pinaceae | Abies | S | x | 1, 2, 3, 5 | |
| Cathaya | x | 5 | |||
| Picea | S | x | 1, 2, 3, 5 | ||
| Pinus sect. Strobus | C, S, L | x | 1, 2, 3, 5 | 2 spp. (MF) | |
| Pinus sect. Pinus | C, S, L | x | 1, 2, 3 | 3 spp. (MF) | |
| Tsuga | x | 1, 2, 5 | |||
| Ephedraceae | Ephedra | B | x | 1, 2, 3, 5 | 2 types (P) |
| Angiosperms | |||||
| Nymphaceae | x | 1, 2 | |||
| Magnoliids | |||||
| Lauraceae | L | 3 | 2 spp. (MF) | ||
| Monocots | |||||
| Potamogetonaceae | Potamogeton | L?, Fr | 3 | ||
| Dioscoreaceae | Dioscorea | Fr | 3 | ||
| Liliaceae | x | 1, 2 | |||
| Smilacaceae | Smilax? | L | 3 | ||
| Commelinids | |||||
| Arecaceae | L | x | 1, 2, 3, 5 | ||
| Cyperaceae | Cyperacites | L | x | 2, 3 | |
| Poaceae | x | 1, 2 | |||
| Stipa | Fr | x | 3, 5 | ||
| Typhaceae | Sparganium | x | 1, 2, 5 | ||
| Typha | L | x | 1, 2, 3, 5 | ||
| Eudicots | |||||
| Buxaceae | x | 2, 5 | |||
| Platanaceae | Platanus | L | x | 1, 2?, 3, 5 | |
| Menispermaceae | x | 5 | |||
| Berberidaceae | Mahonia | L | 1, 3 | 2-3 spp. (MF) | |
| Ranunculaceae | x | 2?, 5 | |||
| Trochodendraceae | Tetracentron | x | 5 | ||
| Core Eudicots | |||||
| Amaranthaceae | x | 1, 2, 5 | 3-4 types (P) | ||
| Cercidiphyllaceae | x | 2, 5 | |||
| Grossulariaceae | Ribes | L | 3 | 6 | |
| Hamamelidaceae | x | 2?, 3?, 5 | |||
| Polygonaceae | x | 2 | |||
| Rosids | |||||
| Vitaceae | x | 1, 5 | 2 types (P) | ||
| Vitis | L | x | 3 | ||
| Eurosids | |||||
| Fabaceae | indet. | Ll | x | 1, 2, 3 | 4 spp. (MF) |
| Caesalpinia | Ll | x | 2, 3? | ||
| Cercis | L, Fr | 3 | |||
| ?Prosopis | L | 3 | |||
| Robinia | L, W | 3?, 4 | |||
| Vicia | L | 3 | |||
| Betulaceae | Paracarpinus/Asterocarpinus † | Fr, L | x | 1, 3 | |
| Alnus | x | 2 | |||
| Betula | x | 1, 5 | |||
| Ostrya/Carpinus | x | 1 | |||
| Fagaceae | Castaneoideae | L? | x | 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 | 3 types (P) |
| aFagopsis † | L, Fl, Fr | x | 3, 6 | ||
| Quercus | L, Fr | x | 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 | 8 spp. (MF) 4 types (P) |
|
| Juglandaceae | Carya | L, Ll, Fl, Fr | x | 1, 2, 3, 5 | |
| Cyclocarya | x | 1 | |||
| Engelhardoideae | 1, 2, 5 | 2 types. (P) | |||
| Juglans | S? | x | 1, 2, 3, 5 | ||
| Rhoipteleaceae | x | 1, 2 | |||
| Salicaceae | Populus | L, Fr | 3 | ||
| Salix | L | x | 1, 2, 3, 5 | 4 spp. (MF) | |
| Euphorbiaceae | L | x | 1, 2, 3, 5 | ||
| Elaeagnaceae | x | 1, 2 | |||
| Cannabaceae | Humulus | L | 3 | ||
| Moraceae | Morus | L | 3 | ||
| Rosaceae | x | 1, 2, 5 | 4 types (P) | ||
| Amelanchier | L | 3 | |||
| Cerocarpus | L, Fr | 3 | |||
| Crataegus | L, Fr | x | 2, 3, 5 | 3 spp.(MF) | |
| Holodiscus | L | 3 | |||
| Malus | L | 3 | |||
| Rosa | L, Ll | 3 | |||
| Rubus | L | 3 | |||
| Vauquelin[i]a | L | 3 | 2 spp. (MF) | ||
| Ulmaceae | W | x | 1, 2, 4, 5 | ||
| Celtis | L | 1, 3 | |||
| Cedrelospermum † | L, S | x | 3, 5 | ||
| Ulmus | L, F | x | 1, 2, 3, 5 | ||
| Zelkova-type | x | 1 | |||
| Malvids | |||||
| Malvaceae | indet. | x | 1, 2, 5 | at least 6 types (P) | |
| Florissantia † | Fl, Fr | x | 1, 2, 3, 5 | ||
| Tilia? | L | x | 2, 3 | ||
| Thymeleaceae | indet. | x | 5 | ||
| Daphne | L | x | 2, 3, 5 | ||
| Onagraceae | indet. | Fl | x | 1, 2, 3, 5 | 2 types (P) |
| Sapindaceae | Acer | L, Fr | x | 1, 2, 3, 5 | 3 spp. (MF) 3 types (P) |
| Athyana | L | x | 3 | ||
| Dipteronia | L, Fr | 1, 3 | |||
| Koelreuteria | L?, Fr, W | 1, 3, 4 | |||
| Simaroubaceae | Ailanthus | Fr | x | 2, 3 | |
| Chaneya tenuis † | Fr | 3 | |||
| Meliaceae | Cedrela or Toona | S | x? | 2, 3 | |
| Anacardiaceae | L | x | 5 | ||
| Cotinus | L | 3 | |||
| Rhus | L | 1, 3 | 3 spp. (MF) | ||
| Schmaltzia [=Rhus sect. Lobadium] | L | 3 | |||
| Rutaceae | S? | x | 1, 3, 5 | ||
| Asterids | |||||
| Cornaceae | Alangium | x | 5 | ||
| Hydrangeaceae | L, Fl | 3 | |||
| Ebenaceae | Diospyros | x | 5 | ||
| Ericaceae | x | 1, 2, 5 | |||
| Euasterids I (Lamiids) | |||||
| Apocynaceae | S | 1, 3 | |||
| Tabernaemontana | x | 1, 5 | |||
| Eucommiaceae | Eucommia | Fr | x | 1, 2, 3, 5 | |
| Oleaceae | Osmanthus? | L, Fr | x | 1, 3 | |
| Fraxinus | x | 2, 5 | |||
| Euasterids II (Campanulids) | |||||
| Asteraceae | x | 1, 2, 5 | |||
| Adoxaceae | Sambucus | L, Ll | x | 1, 2, 3 | |
| Viburnum | x | 1, 5 | |||
| Caprifoliaceae | Diplodipelta † | Fr | 3 | ||
| Lonicera | x | 2, 5 | |||
| Araliaceae | x? | 2 | |||
| Oreopanax | L | 3 | |||
a
The wood taxon Chadronoxylon possibly belongs to the plant that produced foliage and reproductive structures of Fagopsis (Meyer, 2003).
Macro fossils: L-leaf, Ll-leaflet, B-branch, C-cone, Fr-fruit, S-seed, W-wood, Fl-flower.
Sources: 1-Leopold and Clay-Poole (2001) and Leopold et al. (2008, Table 1); 2-Wingate and Nichols (2001); 3-Manchester (2001); 4-Wheeler (2001); 5-Bouchal (2013); 6-present study.
†
= extinct; Remarks: MF-macro fossils, P-pollen.