Learn more about this plant:
https://www.nps.gov/flfo/learn/nature/fagopsis-longifolia-reconstruction.htm
On Saturday, November 20, 2021 Louisville Kentucky USA hosted the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) championship game which turned out into a competitive match between Chicago Red Stars and the Washington Spirit. The Washington Spirit team ending up winning 2-1 and the above picture shows their award ceremony.
10,360 showed up for the game and as a result I went to the game several hours early and stayed about 90 minutes after it ended because of traffic. In this extra time, I explored around the stadium and found that the trees planted around the perimeter were Ginkgo biloba (Linnaeus, 1771). According to Wikipedia, while the species was named by Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus, Chinese herbalists named it in literature as early as 1329. The fossil record shows leaves from the Permian Period (about 290 million years ago). I have posted about this fossil before back in 2010 (LINK).
I am curious as to why this tree was chosen for the landscaping the complex. As it turns out, I help the landscape architect from time to time with IT issues. Next time, I encounter him I plan to ask about this. If you get a chance, I encourage you to attend a Racing Louisville or Louisville City soccer game at Lynn Family stadium and check these trees out for yourself and the beautiful venue.
This image shows an unidentified leaf fossil found in the Florissant Formation of Teller County, Colorado, USA. The field of view (FOV) is 4 cm. It dates to the Eocene Epoch of the Paleogene Period.
Thanks to Kenny for the image.
Unidentified leaf fossil found in the Florisant formation of Teller County Colorado USA. This fossil is special in that it has three places on the leaf where there is predation. The darker areas show signs of the leaf repairing itself. The fossil dates to the Eocene Epoch. The leaf is about 3.5 cm in length.
Thanks to Kenny for the image.
The fossils were on display in the Evolving Planet section of The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago Illinois, USA as of August 2020.
These fossils were only identified by their genus name. The name Acer is attributed to Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778) the Swedish botanist and "father of taxonomy" who used the common Latin name for maple trees. The name was derived from Indo-European origins meaning "sharp". I believe he named it in Systema Naturae 1758 part 8.
References:
https://www.fnps.org/assets/pdf/palmetto/v13i4p8austin.pdf
Above is a picture of an oak leaf plant fossil called Quercus berryi (Trelease, 1918). This plant fossil dates to the Oligocene Epoch (33.7-23.8 million years ago). It was found in the state of Oregon, USA. While not listed on the label, this might be from the John Day Basin.
The fossil was on display in the Evolving Planet section of The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago Illinois, USA as of August 2020. Accession number is UP525. It is part of a plant leaf fossil collection on display.
Renamed by William Trelease (1857-1945) in 1918. The Ancient Oaks of America. Memoirs of the Brooklyn Botanical Garden 1: 492–501. It looks to me he changed the name of Q. breweri Lesquereux 1883 not Wats. to Q. berryi n. nom.
The fossil was on display in the Evolving Planet section of The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago Illinois, USA as of August 2020. Accession number is P22229. They have a nice collection of plant fossils on display.
This type of leaf specimen was described by Frank Hall Knowlton (1860-1926) in the U. S. Geological Survey Eighteenth Annual Report., Part. 3, page 728, plate 101, figures. 3,4; plate. 102, figures 1, 2 1898 in the Payette formation of Idaho.
Knowlton later identified in the Latah formation of Washington in U. S. Geological Survey Prof. Paper 140, page 38, plate 22 figures 3, 4, 1926. See leaf image from figure 3 below.
Source A Revision of the Flora of the Latah Formation by Edward Wilber Berry.
