A PRELIMINARY SPOROLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF SOME COALS FROM , I1TDIA

G. K. B. X_\VALE & R. S. TIWARI Birbal Salmi Institute of Palaeobotany, Lucknow,

ABSTRACT treatment of acid and alkali. To determine the overall average frequency of the mio• Sporological analysis of some coals from )randira and South Belanda Mines of Talcher Coalfield, spore genera, one thousand specimens have Orissa, India, has been done and miospores have been counted. The slides with marked been assigned to 33 genera. A generic quanti• sectors have been selected at random for tative analysis has revealed that Pa'rasaccites, counting. is a dominant genus while Faunipo!lenites, PUI1C• tatisporites, Striatopodocarpites, Sulcatisporites and Apiculatisporis are fairly well represented genera. OBSERVATIONS This assemblage has been compared with those from some of the other beds of Lower Gondwana The mioflora in these coals consists of the of India. following important genera: INTRODUCTION Punctatisporites (Ibr.) Pot. & Kr. Lophotriletes (Naum.) Pot. & Kr. Apiculatisporis Pot. & Kr. DURINGa]] the thestageslastof fiveLoweryears,Gondwanaalmost Cyclobaculisporites Bhard. of India have been sporologically Parasaccites Bharad. & Tiwari worked out (POTOKIE & LELE, 1961; BHA• Potonieisporites (Bhard.) Bharad. RADWA], 1962; BHARADWA} & TIWARI, Plicatij)ollenites Lele 1964; TIWARI, 1965; MAITHY, 1965; BHA• Striatopodocarpites (Soritch. & Sed.) RADVVA],SAH & TIWARI, 1965), and this has Bharad. (sensu Bharad. 1962) provided very informative data for the Faunipollel1ites Bharad. miofloristic comparisons. Some coals from Vesicaspora (Schemel) Wils. & Venkat. Talchcr Coalfield of India were taken up for Sulcatisporites (Lesch.) Bharad. the petro-palynological studies by one of Ginkgocycadophytus Samoilowitz us (GKE ) and in the present paper, the The following miospore genera are also quantitative miospore analysis of the same present in the coals under study but they coals has been done. This miospore assem• show a meagre representation and are thus blage has been compared with those from quantitatively less important. some other stages in Lower Gondwana;;. Leiotriletes (Naum.) Pot. & Kr. Retztsotriletes N aumova MA TERIAL AND METHODS Cyclogranisporites Pot. & Kr. Verrucosisp01'-ites (lbr.) Pot. & Kr. The sporological analysis dealt with in Horriditriletes Bharad. & Salujha this paper is based upon the coal samples Indotriradites Tiwari from Nandira and South Belanda Mines of Latosporites Pot. & Kr. Talcher Coalfield (20°57': 85°14') in the Densipollenites Eharad. coal basin of Orissa, India. In VirMipollenites Lele the former mine there are two seams out of Crucisaccites Lele & Maithy which the bottom seam is workable being Cuneatisporites Lesch. 10' in thickness and the same seam extends Illinites (Kos.) Pot. & Kl. in the latter mine attaining a thickness of Rhizomaspora Wilson IS' (For details see NAVALE, 1965). The Lunatisporites (Lesch.) Bharad. samples were collected from tll!' exposed Welwitschiapites Bolchowit. surface of the seam in the form of blocks Quadrisporites (Renn.) Pot. & Lele and for sporological analysis 2-5 mm sized The following genera, although present, representative samples were prepared. For did not encounter in counting. maceration 40 gm of coal was taken for Jlicrobawlispora Bharad. each sample and was suhjected to similar J11'crofoveolatispora Bharad. 47 48 THE PALAEOBOTANIST

Striatites (Pant) Bharad. catisporites, Ginkgocycadophytus and Quadri• Verhcipollenites Bharad. sporites. Vittatina Luber However, the prominence of Punetati• Some of the important genera are figured sporites, F a1t1tipollenites and Suleatisporites in Plates 1 and 2. and rarity of Pl-icatipollenites, Potoniei• A quantitative analysis shows that the sporites and Ginkgocycadophytus in the genus Para saccites dominates the whole present assemblage, distinguish it from that miofloral population, being 31 per cent of South Rewa Basin. (Histogram I). The presence of Illdotriradites although in Other miospore genera characteristically traces, in the present assemblage and its prominent in their average frequencies are: absence from the Talchir beds of South F aunipollenites 19·4 per cent Rewa is also interesting to note. Punctatisporites 11'0 Comparison of the present miospore Striatopod(lcarpites 10·6 assemblage with that of Karharbari Stage Sulcatisporites 9·6 Apiculatisporis 4-0 From the works of Sen (1953) and Virkki The remaining genera are rare or even In (1946) we know about the miospore assem• traces as indicated in the Histogram 1. blage in Karharbari Stage of India. The work by Maithy (1965) on the Sporae Dis• MIOFLORISTIC COMPARISONS persae of Karharbari beds in Giridih Coal• field is based upon the recent lines in sporo• Comparison of the present miospore logy and hence taken here for comparison. assemblage with that of Talchir Stage The miospore assemblage in the Karhar• bari beds of resembles the Surange & Lele (1956) have illustrated present assemblage in the incidence of some miospores from Talchirs of Giridih Parasaccites. But at the same time the Coalfield and similarly Datta (1957) has prominence of the genera P()tonieisporites, also worked out some Talchir Shales from PlicatijJollenites and Crucisaccites in the lhagra-Khand Area, M.P., but the work of former (MAITRY,1965) and their rarity in Potonie & Lele (1961) on Talchir beds of the latter, and the fairly weH representation South Rewa Gondwana Basin is quite in• of the genus PunctatisjJorites in the latter formative and hence forms the basis of such and its rarity in the former reflect the dis• comparIson. tinctive nature of the two. However, the In the miospore assemblage in Talchir other important genera as: Leiotriletes, beds of South Rewa Gondwana Basin the Cyclogranisporites, Lop/wtr iletes, H orriditri• following genera are well represented: letes, Cyclobaculisporites, V irMipollenites, Parasaccites, Leiotriletes, Cyclogranisporites, Cuneatisporites, RhizomasjJora, St1'iatopodo• V errucosisporites, Lop/wtriletes, A piculatis• carpites, F aunipcllenites, 5 ulcatisporites and poris, H orriditriletes, Plicatipollenites, V irl?• Ginkgocycadophytus show a more or less kipollenites, Potonieisporites, Cuneatisporites, similar behaviour which may be even vari• Lunatisporites, Ginkgocycadophytus and able but only within a range. This indicates Quadrisporites. the trends of similarity in these two The two assemblages under discussion assemblages. Moreover, we see that al• are comparable with each other, in spite of most all the important genera found in the the fact that they show their individuality. coals from Talchcr Coalfield under study Qualitatively as well, there is a great have been reported from the above men• degree of similarity between the two assem• tioned Karharbari beds. blages, as indicated by the following genera The genera Quadrisporites and Indotrira• which are common to both: dites are, hO"'ever, so far not known from Leiotriletes, Punctatisporites, Cyclogranis• the latter but at the same time they are porites, Lophotriletes, Horriditriletes, Para• sporadic in the former and hence arf' of saccites, Potonieisporites, Plicatipollenites, little importance in the present comparison. Virkkipollmites, Rhizomaspora, Striatopodo• Thus, we see that in the prominence of carpites, Faunipollenites, Vesicaspora, Sul- the genus Punctatisporites, in the rarity of --+ HISTOGRAM 1 - Percentage frequencies of important miospore genera in the coals of Talcher Coalfield, Orissa (India). NAVA!.E & TIWARI - A PRELIMINARY SPOROLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF SOME COALS 49

LEIOTRILETES PUNCTATISPORITES RETUSOTRILETES CYCLOGRANISPORITES VERRUCOSISPORITES LOPHOTRILETES APICULATISPORtS HORRIDITRILETES CYCLOBACULISPORITES INDOTRIRADITES LATOSPORITES OENSIPOLLENITES PARASACCITES POTONIEISPORITES PLICATIPOLLENITES VIRKKIPOLLENITES CRUCiSACCITES CUNEATISPORITES ILLINITES RHIZOMASPORA LUNATISPORITES STRI ATOPODOCARPITES FAUNIPOLLENITES VESICASPORA SULCATISPORITES WELWITSCHIAPITES JNDEX GINKGOCYCADOPHYTUS QUADRISPORITES LOr WI. 50 THE PAL.\EOBOTAXIST

the genera Plicatipollenites, Potonieisporites and Suleatisporites apart from other dif• and Crucisaccites and in the presence (very ferences. meager) of Indotr1;radites and Quadrisporites, Thus, in spite of the fact that the the mioflora in the coals of Talcher Coal• miospore assemblage under study shows field differs from that of the Karharbari some resemblance with that of lower stage, but at the same time, the similarities horizon of Korba Coalfield, the incoming in the incidences of a large number of genera of many new forms in abundance, particu• and the over all qualitatively comparable larly horizontal and reticuloid striations pictures, are very much suggestive of a close bearing disaccate pollen, and zonate as palynological relationship. well as sculptured trilete spores as listed above, reflects a diversified course and points Comparison of the Present Miospore assem• out the quantitative as well as qualitative blage with those of Korba and West Bokaro differences. Coalfields (Barakar Stage) Sporologically is all the more different from the coals under The dctaikd account of dispersed mio• study. The introduction of Barakarites, spore in Korba Coalfield has Qcen dealt and I ndospora, the prominence of striatiti with by Bharadwaj & Tiwari (1964) and and Sulcatisporites, and the rarity of Para• saccites in West Bokaro coals, differentiate TiwariQualitatively,(1965). the following important the two assemblages strongly. genera are absent from the present assem• CONCLUSIONS blage while they are present in the coals of Korba Coalfield: The preceding brief account shows that Acanthotriletes, Del1tatis/Jora, Luecl?is- the coals of Talcher Coalfield contain a porites, Fimbriaesporites, . Korbapollenites, diversified mioflora. The comparisons of Primuspollenites, Diretculoidispora, Stroter• this assemblage with those in some of the sporites, Decussatisporites, and ]\II aculata• other beds reveal interesting similarities as spordes well as differences, but still the Talcher flora Genera like Quadrispcl'ites and Crucisac• has its own characteristic association of cites are absent from Kcrba-a,:-emblages miospore genera consisting of Parasaccites • but they arp sparsely present ill the coals the most dominant form, F aunipollenites, under study. Striato podocarpites, Punctatisporites, Sulcatis• Sporologically, the Korba Coalfield has porites, Vesicaspora, and Apiculatisporis- as been divided into two horizons (TIWARI, the subdominant genera, and Lophotrilct~s, 1965-KA, KB). The miospore assemblage Cyclobaculisporites, Potonieisporites, Plicati• in the lower horizon (KA) is characteristic pollenites, Ginkgocycadophytus, Quadrisporites in having Dentatispora and Il1dotriradites and Indotriradites as rare genera. The as the prominent genera, thus differs from assemblage on the whole is intermediate the present assemblage, but at the same between the miofloras of Kraharbari Stage time in the fair presence of the genera Punc• and that of lower horizon (KA, see TIWARI, tatisporites and Parasaccites they resemble 1965) in Korba Coalfield. each other to some extent. The mioflora ACKNOWLEDGEMEN~S in the upper horizon (KB) of Korba is still different from the present association, by We are thankful to Dr. D. C. Bharadwaj virtue of the prominence of Faunipollenites for very useful suggestions and discussion.

REFERENCES

BHARADWA], D. C. (1962). The miospore genera Fox, C. S. (1964). The lower Gondwana coalfif'ids in the coals of Raniganj Stage (Upper Permian), of India. Mem. geol. Surv. India. 59: 78-85. India. Palaeabatanist 9: 68-106. MAITRY, P. K. (1965). Studies in the Glossopteris o BHARADWA],D. C. & TIWARI, R. S. (1964). The Flora of India-27. Sporae dispersae from the correlation of coalseams in Korba Coalfield, Karharbari Beds in Giridih Coalfield Bihar. Lower Gondwana, India. C. R. 5th internat. Palaeo botanist 13(3): Cangr. Carbo Strat. Geal. 3: 1131-1143. NAVALE, G. K. B. (1965). Petrographic and DATTA, A. K. (1957). Xotes on the palaeontology sporological studies of some coals from Talcher of the sedimentary Rocks in the }hagara-Khand Coalfield Orissa, India. Ibid. 14: 61-69. area . Quart. J. geol. Soc. POTONIE, R. & LELE, K. M. (1961). Studies in India 29: 1-18. ~alchir of India. 1. Sporae dispersae fr(;m .S.I.P Ace No . THE PALAEOBOTANIST, VOL. 15 NAVALE & TIWARI-PLATE 1

'2 NAVALE & TIWARI-PLATE 2 THE PALAEOBOTANIST, VOL. 15 NAVALE & TIWARI - A PRELTMINARY SPOROLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF SOME COALS 51

the Talchir beds of South Rewa Gondwana needle shales from Giridih Coalfield. Palaeo• Basin. Ibid. 8: 22-37. botanist 4: 123-157. SEN, J. (1953). Principles and problems of micro• TIWARI. R. S. (1965). Miospore assemblage in some floral correlations of Indian Coalseams with coals of Barakar Stage (Lower Gondwana) of special reference of Karharbari Coalfield. Bull. India. Ibid. 13 (2): 168-214. nat. Inst. Sci. India. 2: 129-140. VIRKKI. C. (1964). Spores from the Lower Gond• SURANGE. K. R. & LELE. K. M. (1956). Studies wana of India and Australia. Proc. nat. Acad. in the Glossopteris fossils from the Talchir Sci. India 15: 93-176.

EXPLANATION OF PLATES

(All figures are 500 x)

PLATE 1 PLATE 2

1. Lophotriletes. Ph. No. 254/3. 2-3. Apiculatisporis. Ph. No. 253/26. 253/28. 14. Plicatipollenites. Ph. No. 251/29. 4. cf. Horriditrilefes. Ph. No. 252/27. 15,16. Potonieisporites. Ph. Nos. 251/24. 253/14. 5. Indotriradites. Ph. No. 386/12. 17. Rhizomaspora. Ph. No. 257/26. 6-8. Punctatisporites. Ph. Nos. 251/21. 250/1. 18. Lunatisporites. Ph. No. 253/16. 255/9. 19. Striatopodocarpites. Ph. No. 251/17. 9-11. Parasaccites. Ph. Nos. 253/29, 254/6, 20. Faunipollenites. Ph. No. 252/28. 253/13. 21. Sulcatisporites. Ph. No. 250/17. 12. Virkkipollenites. Ph. TO. 254/21. 22. Vesicaspora. Ph. No. 252/20. 13. Cf. Crucisaccites. Ph. No. 251/7. 23-25. Quadrisporites. Ph. Nos. 386/21. 386/16.