Undescribed Monocot Flower
Green River Formation
Middle Eocene
Lincoln County, Wyoming

This is a example of an undescribed monocot flower found in the 18 inch layer of the Fossil Butte Member. The flower is possibly of the family Amaryllidaceae. These flowers are commonly referred to as tube flowers by diggers in the Green River Formation. The flowers are among several monocot families represented in the formation. Monocots are angiosperms that are characterized by parallel major veins (rather than branching) along the length of the leaf. Examples include palm and cattails. The Amaryllids are a diverse group today containing over 800 species distributed worldwide. The common daffodil is a member of this family.