A list of prehistoric and extant species whose fossils have been found in the London Clay, which underlies large areas of southeast England.
Plant fossils, especially seeds and fruits, are found in abundance and have been collected from the London Clay for almost 300 years. Some 350 named species of plant have been found, making the London Clay flora one of the world's most diverse for fossil seeds and fruits. The flora includes plant types found today in tropical forests of Asia and demonstrates the much warmer climate of the Eocene epoch, with plants such as Nypa (Nipah palms) and other palms being frequently encountered. The following plants list is incomplete and is based on the research by Marjorie Chandler. and research works done by the paleobotanist Steven R. Manchester and by professor of plant palaeobiology Margaret Collinson.
Plants
Pteridophytes
Pteridaceae
Acrostichum – mangrove fern
Pteris sp. - brake
Vittaria sp. – shoestring fern, similar to Vittaria lineata
Cyatheaceae – scaly tree fern
Cyathea sp. – similar to Cyathea delgadii
Thyrsopteridaceae
Thyrsopteris sp. – similar to Thyrsopteris elegans
Osmundaceae
Osmunda sp. – similar to Osmunda javanica
Dryopteridaceae – wood fern, male fern
Dryopteris sp.
Athyriaceae
Diplazium sp. - similar to Diplazium smithianum
Onocleaceae
Onoclea sp. – similar to Onoclea sensibilis (the sensitive fern)
Nephrolepidaceae – macho ferns
Nephrolepis sp.
Salviniaceae – water ferns
Azolla
Marsilea – water clover
Marsilea sp. - similar to Marsilea quadrifolia
Lycopodiophytes
Lycopodiaceae – clubmosses
Lycopodium sp. Phylloglossum sp. – similar to Phylloglossum drummondii (pygmy clubmoss)
Gymnosperms
Ginkgoaceae
Ginkgo sp.
Cycadaceae
Cycas sp. - similar to Cycas schumanniana
Zamiaceae
Zamia sp. – similar to Zamia pumila
Araucariaceae – monkey puzzle, bunya pine, and Norfolk pine
Agathis sp. - similar to Agathis dammara
†Araucarites spp. †Doliostrobus stenbergi - fossils in the past named †Araucarites are said to be of this genus, it is now placed in its own family, †Doliostrobaceae.
Pinaceae
Pinus spp.
Taxaceae
?Taxaceae indet. †Cephalotaxus bowerbanki – plum yew Torreya sp.
Cupressaceae
†Callitris curta (Callitrites curta) – cypress pine
†Cupressinites spp. Libocedrus adpressa †Quasisequoia sp. Sequoia couttsiae Widdringtonia sp. – African cypresses
Podocarpaceae
Afrocarpus sp. – similar to Afrocarpus falcatus (common yellowwood) Podocarpus argillaelondinensis? Podocarpus sp. – similar to Podocarpus elatus (plum pine) Podocarpus sp. – similar to Podocarpus novae-caledoniae Podocarpus sp. – similar to Podocarpus nubigenus (Chilean podocarp, cloud podocarp) Prumnopitys sp. – similar to Prumnopitys andina (the Chilean plum yew)
Angiosperms
Arecaceae – palms
†Caryotispermum cantiense
Corypha sp. Livistona minima Nypa burtini (syn. Nipa burtini) Oncosperma anglica †Palmospermum bracknellense †Palmospermum cooperi †Palmospermum davisi †Palmospermum elegans †Palmospermum jenkinsi †Palmospermum minutum †Palmospermum ornatum †Palmospermum ovale †Palmospermum subglobulare Sabal grandisperma Serenoa sp. ?Trachycarpus sp.