Eucommia eocenica facts for kids

Eucommia eocenica was an extinct flowering plant. It belonged to the plant family called Eucommiaceae. Scientists know about E. eocenica from fossil fruits. These fruits were found in the southeastern United States. They come from a time called the middle Eocene period. This was a very long time ago! E. eocenica is one of five fossil species from North America. All of them are part of the modern plant group known as Eucommia.

Discovering an Ancient Plant

Scientists found fossils of Eucommia eocenica in several places. These places include Tennessee, Missouri, and Mississippi. The fossils were in rock layers called the Claiborne Formation.

Who Found It First?

In 1930, a scientist named Edward W. Berry first described two fossils. He found them in Tennessee. He gave them different names at first.

Naming the Plant

Later, in 1940, another scientist named Roland W. Brown looked at these fossils again. He realized they were from the same plant! Brown decided to move the plant into the Eucommia group. He officially named it Eucommia eocenica.

What Eucommia eocenica Looked Like

The fruits of E. eocenica were a bit unusual. They were not perfectly even on both sides, which means they were asymmetrical.

Fruit Shape and Size

Each fruit had two flattened parts called nutlets. These nutlets had narrow wings around them. The tips of the fruits were usually pointed. They were about 11.5 to 21 millimeters long. That's about the size of a small paperclip!

How They Were Attached

The fruits had a small stalk, or stipe, at their base. This stalk was attached at an angle. Most of the fruits found had one main nutlet. The second nutlet was often just a thin strip of tissue.

Special Features

These ancient fruits also had a network of small veins. These veins contained a substance called latex. This latex was special because it still kept its stretchiness! Its color ranged from golden brown to dark brown.