Abstract: Separate biostratigraphical schemes have been developed for Permian macrofloras in the five main phytochoria (palaeokingdoms), reflecting the essential lack of overlap in taxonomic composition. In Europe two biozones are normally recognized, in North America three zones, in Cathaysia three or four zones, in Gondwana four zones and in Angara five zones. The stratigraphical resolution tends to be far less than that of palynology, and up to an order of magnitude coarser than the macrofloral biozones of the Pennsylvanian subsystem. This is probably due, at least in part, to the lack of rigor in the way that the Permian macrofloral zones have been defined. Nevertheless, the existing zones do provide evidence of the overarching trajectory of change in vegetation through the Permian Period, as it responded at all palaeolatitudes to a combination of climate change, large-scale volcanic eruptions and tectonically driven landscape changes.

Abstract Three works from the early 19th century stand out as having influenced the development of scientific palaeobotany: Schlotheim’s Beschreibungen merkwürdiger Kräuter-Abdrücke (1804, printed by Becker, Gotha), Sternberg’s Flora der Vorwelt , [Volume I: 1820–1821, (Parts 1 and 2), printed by F. Fleischer, Leipzig; 1823–1825 (parts 3 and 4), printed by E. Brenck’s Wittwe, Regensburg: Volume II: 1833 (Parts 5 and 6), printed by J. Spurny, Prague; 1838 (Parts 7 and 8), printed by G. Hässe und Söhre, Prague] and Brongniart’s Histoire des végétaux fossiles (1828–1837, 1837–1838, printed by G. Dufour & E. d’Ocagne, Paris). The text of all three works contains important insights into the nature of plant fossils and how they relate to modern-day vegetation. Significantly, however, they are also among the first published works to include accurate images of plant fossils, and thus raised the awareness of the scientific community as to the importance of such fossils. Schlotheim’s illustrations were based on his own drawings and were reproduced as etchings by the well-known botanical illustrator Johann Capieux of Leipzig. Sternberg’s illustrations were based on original artwork prepared by various artists, many of whom were essentially landscape and portrait artists. The final illustrations were again reproduced as etchings, prepared by another eminent botanical illustrator Jacob Sturm of Nuremberg. Brongniart’s illustrations are quite different, being lithographs, prepared by Mme Ve Noël, L. Houloup and ‘Thierry frères’. They were based on drawings by various artists, although most were, in effect, copies of originals prepared by Brongniart.

Abstract Emily Dix was a leading British palaeobotanist during the first half of the 20th century to deal with the stratigraphical distribution of macrofloras. She helped transform the use of fossil plants in defining biostratigraphic units in the Carboniferous strata in Britain; her plant-based zonation remains the foundation of Carboniferous macrofloral biostratigraphy today. She addressed several problems that came to dominate Carboniferous stratigraphical research during the second half of the century, including the mid-Carboniferous boundary and the Westphalian-Stephanian boundary. Her career was tragically cut short by mental illness when she was only in her early 40s.