362 Prof, ton Ettingshausen — Australian Tertiary Flora. 



It may be worthy of notice that Fagus, distributed over both 

 Hemispheres, is represented in Vegetable Creek not only by types of 

 the Southern, but also by one of the Northern Hemisphere, Whilst 

 the former, belonging to the section Notofagiis, exhibits coriaceous and 

 persistent leaves, the latter closely corresponds to Fagus ferruginea, 

 a species of the section Eufagus, bearing membranaceous and 

 deciduous leaves. In accordance with these facts the representation, 

 of Quercus in the Tertiary Flora of Australia might be considered 

 not less interesting. They have collected in Vegetable Creek leaf- 

 fossils of Quercus, belonging to species which are analogous to species 

 now living in North America, in Mexico, on Lebanon, in East India, 

 in Japan, and in the Isle of Hong-kong. "Whilst types of Fagus are 

 still existing in the present flora of Australia, those of Quercus seem 

 to be quite extinct there. 



Although the Tertiary Flora of Australia deviates very much from 

 the living one, we find numerous points of connexion between them. 

 A species of Callitris closely approaches the G. robusta, R. Brown ; 

 a Dammara-species is very near to D. australis, Lamb.; a Phyllocladus- 

 species, which on one side unites the characters of all the three living 

 ones, is allied on the other side to types of Mesozoic, especially 

 Cretaceous floras ; the genera Gasuarina, Santalum, Boronia, Euca- 

 lyptus, the FroteacecB, Saxifragacecs, etc., are represented by species, 

 more or less closely related to living Australian forms. 



A brief synopsis of the conclusions drawn from the general results 

 which the investigation of the Tertiary Flora of Australia have 

 off"ered may be given as follows : — 



Firstly. — The geographical distribution of plants in Australia at 

 the Tertiary period deviated in many respects from the present one. 

 Therefore, the materials for comparison obtainable from the present 

 flora of Australia are not at all sufficient for the investigation of the 

 Tertiary one, and must consequently be completed from other floras 

 of the globe. 



Secondly. — Types of plants of the Southern as well as of the 

 Northern Hemisphere of the globe are associated together in the 

 Tertiary Flora of Australia. 



Thirdly. — The flora-elements represented in the Tertiary Flora of 

 Australia chiefly contain Phylones (ancestor-types), which are also 

 common to other Tertiary Floras of the globe. The character of 

 the Tertiary Flora of Australia cannot therefore be considered 

 essentially different from that of the latter. 



Fourthly. — The Australian Tertiary Flora, in accordance with the 

 preceding statements, is but a part of one and the same Original- 

 flora upon which all living floras of the globe are founded. 



Fifthly. — The comparison of this Original-flora to the present 

 floras of the globe shows that in Australia the difi"erentiation of the 

 Phylones has reached its highest degree. 



Sixthly. — Many analogies to the Tertiary Flora are nevertheless to 

 be found in the liviua; Australian Flora. 



