THE FLOBA OF THE ANCIENT EARTH. 



173 



plants, as well as by the more European character of its 

 vegetation. 



OF DE. LINDLEY. The observations of Dr. Lindley on 

 the periods of Brongniart, are in substance these : 



In the first, comprising the coal formation, the flora of 

 that era consisted of ferns in vast abundance ; of large coni- 



Veyetation of the oolitic period, 



a Arborescent fern, peculiar species. * c Pandanns. 



b Cycas and zamia. d Palmi. 



Fia. 110. 



ferous trees ; of species resembling tycopodiacea, but of most 

 gigantic dimensions ; of vast quantities of a tribe apparently 

 analogous to cactete, or euphorbiacecB, but perhaps not iden- 

 tical with them ; of palms and other monocotyledons ; and, 

 finally, of numerous plants, the exact nature of which is 

 extremely doubtful. Of the entire number of species detected 

 in this formation, two-thirds are ferns. 



In the trias, the characters of vegetation are altered by 

 the disappearance of the cactete, or eupkorbiacece, by a dimi- 

 nution of the proportion of ferns, and by the appearance of a 

 few new tribes ; but so little is known of the flora of this 

 period, that it is scarcely worth noticing as a distinct epoch, 

 but might more appropriately be classed with the period 

 succeeding. 



