Abstract:Fossil wood was known in China at least 1 200 years ago, when a Chinese scholar, Lu Gui-meng, mentioned it in his poem. This might be the earliest record on fossil wood in history. Afterwards many petrified woods have been reported from many researchers round the world. In 1665 Robert Hooke from Great Britain created the first microscope, which enabled scientists to study wood structure in greater detail. The development of microscopes has played an important role in the study on the woods and since then many results have been achieved successfully. A Tertiary wood flora was
discovered from the Dabie Mountain in Wuhan region, China in 1984. Since then many fossil woods were collected from this area and the adjacent areas. The angiosperm fossil wood (the Laurinoxylon
wuhanensis J.J. Yang is represented) was discovered and studied for the first time in China. The studies provided information for the studies on the humid climate in Wuhan area at that time. They
were identified as 24 species of both angiosperm and gymnosperm, which belong to the 13 families and 21 genera.
1. Gymnosperm
(1) Cupressus wuhanensis J.J. Yang
(2) Cupressus hubeiensis J.J. Yang
(3) Juniperus wuhanensis J.J. Yang
(4) Cunninghamia lancelata Hook
(5) Tsuga-keteleeria longibraceate Cheng
(6) Keteleeria fortunei Carr.
(7) Pinus henanensis J.J Yang
(8) Podocarpus nagi Pilger
(9) Gyptostrobus pensiliis K. Koch
2. Angiosperm
(1) Catalpa wuhanensis J. J, Yang
(2) Dolichandrone wuhanensis J.J.Yang
(3) Elaeocarpus wuhanensis J.J. Yang
(4) Euodia rutcaecarpa Benth
(5) Bischofia javanica BI.
(6) B. polycarpa Airy-Shaw
(7) Bridelia wuhanensis J.J. Yang
(8) Phyllanthus wuhanensis J. J Yang
(9) Laurinoxylon wuhanensis J.J Yang
(10) Aphanathe wuhanensis J.J Yang
(11) Acrocarpus fiaxinifolius Amex Wight
(12) Ormosia pinnta Merr.
(13) Zelkova wuhanensis J.J Yang
(14) Gmelina wuhanensis J. J Yang
(15) Gmelina hubeiensis J.J Yang