EARLY CRETACEOUS FLORAS IN CIRCUM-PACIFIC REGION OF CHINA

The Early Cretaceous floras in the Circum-Pacific region of China are divided into a southern type and a northern type. The southern type flora resembles Early Cretaceous floras of Europe and the Outer Zone of Japan, and is mainly distributed in southeastern China. The northern flora is similar to those of Siberia and the Inner Zone of Japan, and is widely dispersed in northeast China. Each type flourished under differing climatic conditions. On the eastern margin of northeast China a mixed floral type also existed, which is closely related to the Nikan flora of southern Primorye, Russia. The variations of components in the Early Cretaceous flora of northeast China permit division into early, middle and late assemblages, which are assigned to the early, middle and late Early Cretaceous, respectively. The Early Cretaceous flora of southeast China is represented by that of Zhejiang, which is regarded as early-mid Early Cretaceous in age. The Pingzhou flora of Hong Kong probably belongs to the Albian, representing the latest of the southern type floras. © 1994 Academic Press. All rights reserved.