Au xvi^e siècle, un arbre fossile a été découvert dans une mine de Bohême, à Jáchymov. Franz Unger, en 1842, a attribué au bois le nom de Ulminium diluviale. Après avoir évoqué l'historique de la région minière et sa géologie, les auteurs donnent une description détaillée de l'anatomie du bois. Il appartient à la famille des Lauraceae et porte le nom de Laurinoxylon diluviale que lui a donné Felix en 1883.

A fossil tree was discovered during the 16th century at Jáchymov (Bohemia). The wood was first named by Unger, in 1842, Ulminium diluviale. But it belongs to the Lauraceae family and Felix, in 1883, named it Laurinoxylon diluviale. The authors give the history and the geological setting of the area and describe the anatomy of the wood. The diagnosis of the genus Laurinoxylon Felix, 1883. is emended as follows: heteroxylous fossil wood with average sized solitary vessels or in radial groups; perforation plates simple and sometimes scalariform; intervascular pits alternate and moderately large; thyloses present. Paratracheal parenchyma. Uni to five seriate rays, slightly heterocellular and less than 1mm high; ray-vessel pits large often stretched. Libriform or with radial pits fibres. Oil cells or mucilage (idioblasts) present. The diagnosis of the species Laurinoxylon diluviale (Unger) Felix, 1883. is also emended. Heteroxylous fossil wood with distinct growth rings; late wood poorly developed with vessels of diameter distinctly smaller as compared to the early wood and with smaller diameter fibres. Diffuse to semiporous vessels, solitary or in radial groups of two to seven , nine to 16 pores/mm²; tangential diameter 100 to 154μm in early wood and 44 to 72μm in late wood; vessel length 300 to 550μm; perforation plates simple and scalariforme (6-12 bars); intervascular pits alternate, rounded (diameter 7-10μm) or elliptic (long axes×short axes: 10-15μm×7-10μm); thylosis present. Paratracheal parenchyma in more or less complete rows (1-2 cells wide) around the vessels. Heterocellular rays (1-(3) rows of upright cells), of one to five, more frequently three to four cells wide (80%); two to 36 cells high (60 to 820μm); six to seven rays per tangential millimetre; vessels-rays pits sometimes large, stretched horizontally to vertically. Fibres of 15 to 25μm in diameter; cell walls of 2-3μm thick; pits not seen. Oil cells (idioblasts) at the ray margins; 27-60μm in tangential diameter; 50-80μm in radial diameter; 72-140μm high; density of zero to 18 per transversal square millimetres depending on the observed area.