The botanical identity and facies distribution of fossil charcoal is described from Middle to
Late Cenomanian (90–94 Ma) fluvial to estuarine units at Pecínov quarry, near Prague, Czech
Republic. Braided alluvial facies associations contain charred conifer woods (family Pinaceae) possibly
derived from upland forest fires, and abundant charred angiosperm woods, flowers and inflorescences
(families Lauraceae and ?Platanaceae) derived from riparian gallery forest fires (Unit 2).
Retrogradational coastal salt marsh facies associations contain abundant charred conifer wood (families
Cheirolepidiaceae and Cupressaceae/Taxodiaceae) derived from fires in halophytic backswamp
forest, and rare pinaceous charred cones and lauraceous angiosperm wood washed downstream from
fires further inland (Units 3–4). Progradational coastal facies associations within an estuary mouth
setting contain abundant charred conifer wood (family Cupressaceae/Taxodiaceae), common taxodiaceous
conifer and angiosperm leaves, fern rachises, and lycopsid stems derived from fires in mesic
backswamp taxodiaceous forests and supra-tidal fern-lycopsid thickets (Unit 5). Growth rings in
angiosperm and conifer woods, leaf physiognomy and computer models indicate that climate was
equable, warm and humid, but that there was a short annual dry season; most fires probably occurred
during these annual drought periods. The abundance of charcoal and the diversity of taxa preserved in
this state indicate that nearly all plant communities were fire-prone. Physiognomically, the Pecínov
flora resembles present-day seasonally-dry subtropical forests where fires are a common occurrence.