[footnote[ *Adolphe Brongniart, 'Prodrome d'une Hist. des Vegetaux
Fossiles', p. 179; buckland, 'Geology', p. 479; Endlicher and Unger,
'Grundzuge der Botanik', 1843, s. 455.
The vegetation of the primitive period exhibits forms which, from their
simultaneous affinity with several families of the present world, testify
that many intermediate links must have become extinct in the scale of
organic development. Thus, for example, to mention only two instances, we
would notice the Lepidodendra, which, according to Lindley, occupy a place
between the Coniferae and the Lycopodiaceae*, and the Araucariae and pines,
which exhibit some peculiarities in the union of their vascular bundles.
[footnote] *"By means of Lepidodendron, a better passage is established
from flowering to flowerless plants than by either Equisetum or Cycas, or
any other known genus." -- Lindley and Hutton, 'Fossil Flora', vol. ii., p.
53.
Even if we limit our consideration to the present world alone, we must
regard as highly important the discovery of Cycadeae and Coniferae side by
side with Sagenariae and Lepidodendra in the ancient coal measures. The
Coniferae are not ony allied to Cupuliferae and Betulinae, with which we
find them associated in lignite formations, but also with Lycopodiaceae.
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