中文摘要：

“前华夏植物群”一词由李星学等提出。原义指以西北地区下石炭统（臭牛沟组、靖远组为主）及华南相当地层中的植物总称。作者分析了当前古植物地理区划的有关理论，结合中国的具体情况．提出“前华夏植物群”的涵义不但可以代替欧美植物群中拟鳞木植物群（Lrpidodendropsis flora）．而且还可能包括自早志留世植物登陆以来至早石炭世．在中国大陆（或称华夏复合大陆）生长的、独立的植物群。文中以晚泥盆世早石炭世的植物群中独特的科、属、种等地方性土著分子为例．以当前古植物地理区的有关理论为依据，认为“前华夏植物群区”可以从以往的“欧美植物群”或“拟鳞木植物群”区中单独划分出来成为独立的植物地理区。

英文摘要：

The ＂Procathaysian flora＂ was proposed by Li et al. （1993） to include fossil plant assemblages yielded in Chouniugou, Tsingyuan and Hungtuwa formations from northwest China, as well as their corresponding strata in South China. According to the principles of palaeophytogeography （Kauffman, 1973; Meyen, 1987; Yin et al., 1988; Wnuk, 1996）, and based on a comprehensive analysis on all so far recorded fossil plant taxa from Silurian through Early Carboniferous, it is proposed that the term ＂Pro-Cathaysian Flora＂ may be extended to cover all the floral assemblages of Silurian through Early Carboniferous in China. The Pro- Cathaysian floras represent a local and distinct Palaeozoic phytogeographic province because there were more than 75% endemic elements at specific level. The Early Carboniferous floras are represented by sphenophylalean the early stage of Early Hamotophytaceae during Carboniferous, whereas the characteristic elements of the late stage of Carboniferous are 1 ） Cathaysiodendron, Bothrodendron, Lepidodendron quadratum and other oriental lepidophytes; 2） Some noeggerathialean plants such as Noeggerathia, Tingia and Conchophyllum richithofenii; 3） Some pteridosperms represented by parispermae. Paripteris, Linopteris, Sigillaria brardii, Karinopteris （Mariopteris） ocuta f. obtusa flourished in Westphalian floras in Europe were already very common in Early and middle Carboniferous Procathaysian floras in China. Their occurrence in Europe might be a result of migration from these Chinese Procathaysian floras to huge I.aurussian Continent （Li et al. , 1992）. The Early Carboniferous floral elements so far known are listed in Table Ⅰ , and most representative taxa of Early Carboniferous flora in China are figured in Plates 1-4. There are 127 species of 67 genera recorded from Devonian flora of China, of which 36 genera and 108 species are new and so far only recognized in China. Although very few fossil plant taxa are reported from the Silurian, those so far recorded element