Cathaysia

During the Devonian, the South China and Indochina continents had separated from Gondwana and they collided during the Carboniferous to finally form a superterrane in the Permian.

[3] Furthermore, Cathaysia, both sensu Scotese and Li et al., is grouped among the "lonely wanderers" of Meert 2014 — smaller continents whose position varies dramatically between plate reconstructions.

[4] During the Permian Cathaysia/South China was located near the Equator and within the Paleo-Tethys Ocean together with the North China continent and these two small continents share what is often called the "Cathaysian floras and faunas" (in contrast to the "Gondwanan floras and faunas").

[5] As North and South China collided during the Late Triassic the Qinling Ocean closed.

[6] South China was covered with coal forests formed by seed ferns of the order Callistophytales, whilst tree-like Lycopodiophytes survived into the Permian.