40 PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS^SECTION n. 



the Cycadophyta, including the modern Cycads, the Coniferales 

 and the Ginkgoales; but they did not become important, being 

 overshadowed by the six. ancient types. 



The difference between Permo-Carboniferous and the older 

 flora does not lie in the types or classes of plants represented by 

 each, which are the same. The chief contrast 



*' lies essentially in the Fern-like plants, whether they be true ]"crns or 

 Cycado-filiccs, in the members of the class Equisetales, as well a.s in 

 the absence of indigenotts representatives of certain groups." 



To particularise : Among the Equisetales, Catamites do not 

 belong to the flora of Gondwanaland ; there are, in place thereof, 

 Schisoneura and Phyllotheca. The latter is found in all four 

 provinces of the ancient continent, and would seem to have 

 originated in Australia, and subsequently spread to India and 

 South Africa and even beyond the boimdaries of Gondwanaland 

 into Asia Minor and Russia. 



Schiconenra is of a more distinct type, and grew commonly 

 in India, rarely in Australia, is represented in South Africa, 

 and has not been found in South America. Contrary to 

 Phyllotheca, Schhoneura thus originated in India and later 

 spread to more distant regions. In Triasso-Rhaetic times it had 

 spread beyond the limits of Gondwanaland to Europe and parts 

 of Asia. 



An equally important plant is one among the Sphenophyllales 

 — S. speciosum, which is more of a northern type, and its pre- 

 sence in India and absence in Australia point to a migration 

 from the northern continent of the period, with which there was 

 probably land connection between Europe and South Africa, as 

 the emigration of the Equisitales would also .show. 



Of the Filicales, Glossopicris, the typical and peculiar genus 

 of the Gondwanaland flora, flourished abundantly everywhere. 

 Gangomopte'ris is another genus, and both travelled along the 

 land connections to Russia in Permian time. 



The Lycopods afford the most interesting evidence of this 

 land connection. Those discovered are identical with northern 

 flora, yet they have been found associated with Glossoptcris in 

 South Africa, South America, and are entirely absent from 

 India and Austarlia. Mr. Newell x\rber says*: the occurrence 

 there 



" is probably best explained by the assumption that land connection 

 existed in these [the two former] regions between the northern and 

 southern continents-" 



I shall only refer to one more group — the Cordaitales — 

 interesting to us because to it belongs the petrified wood so 

 frequently seen among the forest sandstones. Trunks of trees 

 as long as nine feet are not rare^ and fragments are common on 

 all coal-fields. wSo far as can be gathered, they may be referred 

 to Dadoxylon, the stem of Cordaites, common also in Australia. 



* Op- cit; p. xxviii. 



