Koelreuteria is a good example of the uniqueness of the Eocene forest in showing that many of the living relatives of the fossils are now widely disbursed throughout the world. There is no place today where all of the plants known as fossils from Florissant grow together. Today, the golden-rain tree grows naturally only in eastern Asia, but because the tree has such beautiful golden yellow flowers and bright red fruits, it is cultivated in many gardens.
Base of a fruit capsule beginning to dry and brown. As the fruits dried they would break open and release the seeds inside.
NPS/SIP Mariah Slovacek
The fruit of Koelreuteria was a three-sided papery capsule containing three hard seeds. It was easily carried by the wind for seed dispersal. The fruit was three-dimensional and based on living realatives, they might have been bright red or pink, but the sides easily breaking into three pieces as it dried and fell from the tree. These pieces are often found as fossils with net-like veins and seeds attached on the inner surface. They are among the most attractive fossils from Florissant.
Branch with dried seed capsules. (FLFO 6658B, FLFO 10962A)
NPS/SIP Mariah Slovacek
A leaflet from one of the golden-rain tree's large leaves. (FLFO 6223, FLFO 3591, FLFO 2999)
NPS/SIP Mariah Slovacek
The deeply divided leaves of Koelreuteria were very large because the fossils show that they were doubly compound and had two orders of division into leaflets. This means that the entire leaf, which is defined by the position of the bud, was divided into leaflets, and the leaflets were subdivided again.
Artist reconstruction of a golden-rain tree with flowers beginning to become fruits.
NPS/SIP Mariah Slovacek
Koelereteria was a colorful medium-sized tree in the Eocene forest at Florissant, where it grew beneath the tall redwood trees.
Left image
Fossil of golden-rain tree fruit capsule side. (FLFO 6658A)
Credit: NPS
Right image
Reconstruction of golden-rain tree fruit capsule side.
Credit: NPS/SIP Mariah Slovacek
