Malesian flora A recent term used by some authorities for the tropical flora of Australasia. Strictly, however, the name ‘Malesia’ was introduced to replace ‘Malaysia’, which was used formerly, and so to distinguish a floral region from the state of Malaysia, and it should be restricted to the flora of the islands on and between the Sunda and Sahul shelves, an area comprising Malaysia, Papua-New Guinea, and the islands of Indonesia and the Philippines. It is in this sense that the term is used in this dictionary. See also FLORAL PROVINCE and FLORISTIC REGION.

Malesian flora A name that was introduced to replace ‘Malaysia’ which was used formerly, and so to distinguish a floral region from the state of Malaysia. It should be restricted to the flora of the islands on and between the Sunda and Sahul shelves, an area comprising Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, and the islands of Indonesia, Brunei, and the Philippines. It is in this sense that the term is used in this dictionary. Malesia is sharply delimited by major floristic changes at about the latitude of the Kra isthmus in the west and the Torres Strait in the south-east. See also floral province and floristic region.