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The Jurassic flora was tropical in character. Gymnosperms, mostly cycads, were the chief type of plant. Conifers and ginkgoes (of the same genus as the modern maidenhair tree) were also widespread. Part of the crown of a ginkgo, showing the deeply indented leaves, can be see on the left edge of Figure 21. Ginkgoales first appeared during the early Permian and became abundant in the Jurassic. Probably derived from cordaites, it shares a number of characteristics with cycads and other gymnosperms, and one species, Ginkgo Biloba, has survived as "living fossil" growing in China (now transplanted successfully all over the world). Figure 22 shows the forest of Jurassic times. It was filled with gymnosperms. Predominant among
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