5 
Tertiary Tropical Floras thus far explored* and the Tertiary Floras of the 
extra-tropical regions, more especially that of Europe. Besides this, it appears 
that the Tertiary Flora of Java, regarding which our data are the most 
complete, does not consist of exclusively Indian forms, hut that its existing 
analogies extend over a far larger area than the present monsoon region ; so 
that it may he said that in Java, even during the Tertiary Period, types of 
plants existed together which are now separated from one another hy large 
tracts of the earth’s surface. I will here only point to the occurrence of the 
genera Conius , Hhamnus, and Ceanothus, as well as South American forms 
of Malpighiacese. The mixed character of the Tertiary Flora is therefore 
even here very plain, and will, no doubt, become still more striking, as these 
floras become more fully explored. It cannot he denied that, as far as 
known, the Tertiary Floras approach one another much more closely than 
the present floras of the earth do in their regions. The connecting link 
between the former consists in the common floral-elements. 
The analogy referred to might perhaps justify the conclusion that the 
same connecting link hinds together all the Tertiary Floras of the earth. 
From an evolutionary historical point of view, we might even speak of a 
universal original flora, to which all the present existing floras of the earth 
may he traced hack. 
As I have already stated elsewhere,! the evolution of the present flora 
from the Tertiary Flora took place through the differentiation of the floral 
climate, which, however, was effected differently in different parts of the 
globe. 
This insight into the essence of the Tertiary Flora enables us also to 
dismember the floras of the present age in accordance with the mixing of the 
floral elements which once existed. As a general rule, one of the floral 
elements will he found to have undergone a predominant differentiation, 
from which the principal member originated which gave to the flora its 
distinguishing characteristic. But we also meet with forms which, although 
indigenous, are not in accordance with the character of the flora, hut seem to 
point to an exotic flora. These exotic floral constituents cannot he immi- 
grants, hut must have survived into the present flora through the co-elements 
of the Tertiary Flora. From these latter the co-members have been developed. 
* H. R. Goeppert, Tertiarflora der Insel Java, 1S54 ; 0. Heer, Fossile Pflanzen von Sumatra, 1874 ; 
Beitriige zur Fossilen Flora von Sumatra, 1881 ; H. T. Geyler, liber fossile Pflanzen von Borneo, 1875, 
t History of the Development of the Vegetation of the Earth. Sitzungsber. Math. Mat. Cla-sse K. Akad. 
Wiss. Wien, 1874, 69 Bd., 1 Abth. 
