Papers in this volume were presented at the Gulf Coast Lignite Conference held in Austin, Texas, June 1976.
Papers were edited, in some cases extensively, and subjectively grouped by discipline, paralleling that of their presentation at the Conference.

Lignite occurs in three Eocene stratigraphic units--the Wilcox Group, Yegua Formation, and Jackson Group--and in three ancient depositional systems-fluvial, deltaic, and strandplain/lagoonal.

In east-central Texas, or the area between the Colorado
and Trinity Rivers, the Wilcox Group (lower Eocene) is divided
into three formations. Up section they are the Hooper,
Simsboro, and Calvert Bluff. At Alcoa and Butler, lower Calvert

Lignite is a major energy resource in Texas; as the demand for energy re-
sources grows and reserves of oil and gas dwindle, lignite will become the major
fuel potential in the State. That lignite which is strippable by present technology

Coal is found in six areas in Texas, including the large North-Central Texas field, a distinctive cannel coalfield in Webb County, and Late Cretaceous-age coals near Eagle Pass.

Lignite or low-rank coal is a major energy resource in Texas, providing energy since 1850. Prior to 1930, and the advent of abundant natural gas and oil, lignite was a major energy source.

The Eddleman Coal (Thrifty Formation, Cisco Group) in Young County, Texas, yielded a spore and pollen flora which was classified into 37 genera and 65 species. Ten species are regarded as new and are assigned to existing genera. A single new species is described and placed within a new genus.

One of the basic mineral resources of Texas is abundant deposits of lignite in Eocene rocks of the Gulf Coastal Plain.