This third edition published by Kangaroo Press in 1988. First edition published 1986 by Reed in Australia and Princeton University Press in US as The Flowering of Gondwana. The Fossil Record studied is not just a collection of dusty old rock speciments. It is a tantalising key to visualising the world as it was long ago. the plants tell us of past climates. They conjure up a picture of ancient landscapes, and explain configuration of land and sea on the ever-changing face of the Earth. Third edition updated to incorporate the most recent ideas about the evolution of Australia's modern flora and the nature of Gondwana forests at the time of separation from Antarctica. Illustrated with over 400 magnificent photographs of fossils and living plants, plus maps, diagrams and artist's drawings. for the first time scientist, specialist and the general reader can follow Australia's plant ancestry, and appreciate the individuality that has evolved from an inheritance in common with plants from other southern lands.