Status of Kamthi Formation : lithological and palaeobotanical evidences

Suresh C. Srivastava & Neerja ]ha

Srivastava Suresh C & Jha N 1997. Status of Kamthi Formation: lithological and palaeobotanical evidences. Palaeobotanist 46 0,2) : 88-96.

On the basis of lithological, palynological and megafloral data the status of Kamthi Formation has been reviewed. Hitheno known Kamthi Formation which was said to be a time-transgressive unit (Permian-Triassic) actually represents a Triassic sequence overlying Permian sediments equivalent to Raniganj Formation. Presence of Permian taxa, viz., Glossopteris, Ve11ebraria and Pbyllotbeca in red claystone, ferruginous sandstone/shale unit (-Upper Member, Kamthi Formation) represent only the continuations of Permian taxa into the Triassic.

Key-words - Lithology, Megafossils, Palynofossils, Karmhi Formation, Panchet Formation, Triassic, .

Suresb C. Srivastava & Neerjajba, Birbal Sabni Institute of Palaeobotany, 53 University Road, Lucknow 226 007, India. wm

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THE name 'Kamthi' was introduced by Blanford to Raniganj-Panchet Formation of Damodar Basin, (1868) for a group of rocks exposed near military Bijori Formation of Satpura Basin, Pali Formation of station 'Kamptee' close to . The 'Kamthi South Rewa Basin and Pachhwara Formation of Group' of rocks as described by Blanford (1877, p. Rajmahal Basin. In coastal tract of Godavari Graben 299) sensu stricto are composed of "grits, sometimes Kamthi Formation was earlier referred as Chintalpudi very hard at other times soft and frequently sandstone. ferruginous. These are often intersected by bands in The name 'Kamthi' has been used in different which the quartz and carbon are cemented together sense by different authors in different basins. Initially by peroxide of iron. The group also contains there was no intention to retain the name. It was sandstone of various kinds, amongst which fine­ thought that evidence might be accumulated soon to grained slightly micaceous bed, white in colour with identify the rocks as the member of group already blotches and irregular streaks of red are abundant established in Damodar Basin (Hughes, 1877, p. 67). and the fine homogeneous argillaceous rocks which On the basis of fossil plants the Kamthi beds were for want of better name called a compact shale, correlated with Damudas while the mineral characters yellow below the surface, but becoming deep red of Kamthi were different with that of both Iron Stone when exposed". Similar rocks were later identified in Shales and the Raniganj as this was devoid of iron Wardha-Godavari Valley in and Andhra stone shales and coal both. Thus the name 'Kamthi' Pradesh and in Valley, Orissa. In the latter continued to exist on account of its characteristic area it was earlier known as Hingir Formation. lithological attributes and its age was debated on the Kamthi Formation is generally considered equivalent basis of palaeobotanical contents till recently. Now SRlVASTAVA & JHA- STATUS OF KAMTHI FORMATION 89

Table l---Status of KamtW Formation In Godavari Graben

Sengupta Raja Rao King Raiverman el at. Kuny el at. Pandey Ramanamurty & (881) (970) (982) (988) Jha & Srivastava (985) (988) Madhusudan Rao (996) (987) (996) .

K K Upper Upper Upper Member K KUDUREPALW K K KAMTHI Upper A Member K A Member (- Supra-Parr:::hetl Member CHrNTALPUDI M KAMTHI A Middle M Mahadeva) A A T KAM· M Member T H T A MANER Lower THI Lower I H Lower Member Member Member H M Middle M I I (- Panchet) Member I KHANPUR Litho- Litho- R M N zone-4 facies-2 A IRON STONE T T F Upper Upper N SHALE JAlPURAM R Coal Litho- I T A Measures RANIGANJ H Lower H zone-3 Litho- G Member facies-l A iPOTAMADUGU/ K Litho- H N Lower I I BALHARSHAH A zone-2 J M T I BARAKAR S BARREN H Litho- BARREN MEASURES I BELAMPALLI Middle Measures MEASURES I zone·l N G A Lower Coal BARAKAR BARAKAR BARAKAR BARAKAR BARAKAR R Measures E N TALCHIR TALCHIR TALCHIR TALCHIR I TALCHIR TALCHIR TAL C HI R there is growing necessity for the uniformity in Within the Godavari Graben the stratigraphic stratigraphic classification and terminology because status of 'Kamthi' Formation has been interpreted in the informal usage in the past has led to much different ways by different authors (Table 1). confusions. An anempt has been made to ellucidate Ramanamurtyand Rao(996) classified the Kamthi the current status of the Kamthi Formation in view of sediments (sensu Raja Rao, 1982) into Raniganj and the lithological, palynological and plant fossil data Kamthi Formations, .the latter divisible into two accumulated during recent years. Before going into members. ]ha and Srivastava (996) in their the details it is essential to understand the Kamthi in classification considered the Lower Member being type area (sensu stricto) and its relationship in equivalent to Panchet Formation and Upper Member different basins. being equivalent to Supra-Panchet/Mahadeva Formation. STATUS OF KAMTID FORMATION IN DIFFERENT BASINS LITHOLOGICAL SET-UP The Kamthi Formation as described by Blanford The lithological set-up of Kamthi Formation in has been given in introduction. The status of Kamthi Godavari Graben is given in Table 2. Formation in different basins is as follows: Kamthi Formation (Raja Rao, 1982) in Wardha and Kamptee coalfields overlies Mowr Formation Wardha Kamptee Godavari Mahanadi (=Barren Measures) and underlies Lameta Formation K Supra Panchet with pronounced unconformity at both the ends. A -Mahadeva M KAMTHI KAMTHI KAMTHI T In Mahanadi Valley the sediments unconformably H Panchet I overlying the Barakar Formation are included within RANIGANJ RANIGANJ the Kamthi Formation. It consists of fine to medium­ ' BARREN Mowr Mowr BARREN MEASURES grained sandstone, carbonaceous shales, coal bands MEASURES with greenish sandstone, pink clays and pebbly 90 THE PALAEOBOTANIST

Table 2-l1thological set-up ofPermlan-Triasslc sediments In three sub-basins ofGodavarl Graben. (A) lndlcatessensu Raja Rao (1982), and (B) sensu Jha and Srivastava (996) and Ramanamurty and Madhusudan Rao (1996)

A B GODAVARI KOTHAGUDEM CHINTALPUDI SUB-BASIN , SUB-BASIN SUB-BASIN z z 0 0 i= I- -< '" -< '" a:l ""a:l :::<: "" :::<: :::<: :::<: U P PE RG 0 ND W A N A '"0 "" '"0 "- :::<: "- "":::<: Predominantly ferruginous Kamthi : Coarse to Kamthi : sandstone with subordinate pebble sandstone '"""<>. '" - ""<>. Congolomeratic <>. <>. siltstone and day bands arid clays. (SCa, ::> ::>. sandst()ne, ferrugi- - :r: forming hills ranges 1982, in Lakshmi- nous sandstone, - narayana & I- l- siltstone Pinkish, violet :r: Red/brown sandy Murty, 1990). Chocolale brown siltstone/sandstone and indurated and yellow sst. calcareous clay and and clay I- :::<: claystone crossbedded sandstone ,~ (Lakshminarayana ,-. < "" ...."" & Murty, 1990) :::<: 0 0 u 0 Greenish grey to green ""'" ..: Greenish ..: ~ :::<: Greenish grey :::<: clay, siltstone inlercalated " < 0 grey clay

Table 3---Uthologlcal set-up of Permlan-Trlassic sediments In Wardha, Kamptee and Mahanadi Basins. (A) Indicates SetlS11 Raja Rao (982), and (B) sensu Jha and Srivastava (1996) and Ramanamurty and Madhusudan Rao (996)

A B . Z Z 0 0 ~ ~ KAMPTEE MAHANADI f= f= WARDHA ~ w ~ w ~ co co ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 0 w tJ.l ~ 0 ~ "'"' "'"' ~ Pinkish / red / brown variegared Dark brown ferruginous Conglomerates, ferruginous sandsrone, reddish siltstone and sandsrone, conglomerate lenses, sandsrone and red shales - 0: 0: shale red/brick red and yellow lemnoic "-' "-' "- - 0.. 0.. 0.. shales :::l :c :c :::l 1- f- f- :<: "" Coarse grained sandstone wirh Pink clays and pebble Red / browr sandy clay, Ii' -< C) blorches and streaks of red and ex:> "-' r' sandstone ::;:: ...... coarse ber.ded sandstone a 0.. a 0: purple shale f- a '" "-' Ii' '"u '*l :<: 0 -< ...... Ii< ~ '.0 :<: 0 u Greenish grey clay, shale and :;. Gre~nU1grey shale and u f- ~ sandstone 0 sandstone Greenish sandstone clay u ~ ~ "" 0 0 ro u and shale ~ ~ Z 0 0 0: -< ro ro "-' C) Fg. ss!., grey ro black shale, Grey shale, carb shale Fg.-Mg. sandsrone, Ii' z micaceous ar place sandstone and coal carbonaceous, shale S 0:-< and coal seams gross lithological similarity with that of "Kamthi However, the subsurface data from bore core DGW­ Group" described by Blanford (1868) and Hughes 6 (Srivastava & Bhattacharyya, 1996) suggest a (1877) and later on by others, both in adjacent complete sequence comparable to that of Godavari Wardha Valley as well as Mahanadi Basin. Graben. The palynological succession in this bore core also shows resemblance with the palynoflora of This topmost unit shows lithological similarity Raniganj and Kamthi Formations ofGodavari Graben. to the Supra-Panchet/Mahadeva Formations. Now Subramanian, 1962 (in Raja Rao, 1982) and Consequent upon the identification of strata Chakraborty et at., 1967 (in Raja Rao, 1982) appears equivalent to Raniganj Formation, the sediments to be more correct by classifying the post Barakar overlying the Raniganj Formation and underlying sequence in into Raniganj, Panchet the Yerrapalli Formation in Godavari Graben are and Mahadeva Formations. The palynological data therefore, referred to as 'Kamthi Formation'. The in bore core Tcw-6 and TP-8 (Tiwari et at., 1991; lithological setup of Kamthi Formation does not Tripathi, 1996) from Talcher Coalfield also shows exactly matches with that of Panchet Formation of presence of Raniganj and Panchet palynoflora. Damodar Valley, hence the name 'Kamthi' has been retained to represent Early Triassic strata in Wardha­ Sah and Shingte (996) have described the Godavari, Kamptee and Mahanadi Basins. lithological succession in Kamptee Basin in which the litho-unit of Kamthi Formation compares the Upper Member of Kamthi Formation in Godavari PALYNOSEQUENCE Graben. However, they consider it to be Late A number of bore cores drilled across the Permian in age. Brown coloured, ferruginous fine to coarse-grained and gritty sandstone and yellow clay Kamthi Formation (sensu Raja Rao, 1982) have been sequence represents the Kamthi Formation (sensu studied palynologically in Godavari (Srivastava & Ramanamurty & Madhusudan Rao, 1996; sensujha jha, 1988, 1990, 1992a, 1992b, 1995), Kothagudem & Srivastava, 1996) and should be Triassic in age. and Chintalpudi (Srivastava & jha, 1993, 1994) sub- 92 THE PALAEOBOTANIST

Table 4--Uthostratlgraphic stams of Kamthi Formation in Godavari Graben

RarnanamuIty & Madhusudan Rao 1987 1996 Raja Rao (982) Jha & Srivastava (996) Lithology

Ferruginous UPPER MEMBER K UPPER MEMBER Ferruginous sandslone wilh K sandstone with UPPER - SUPRA PANOiET/ subordinate siltstone, c1aybands KAMTHI A K subordinate MEMBER (400 m) MAHAOEVA forming hill ranges sihstone and clay M A (400 m) bands T A Red-brown sandy Alternating sequence of red! H M PANCHET LOWER ca Ica reous cI ays brown sandy calcareous clay [ MEMBER M LOWER MEMBER and cross bedded and coarse bedded sandstone MlOOLE MEMBER T - PANCHET sandstone (1000 m) FORMATION R T (500 m) Greyish while to greenish grey H Greenish grey, shale sandstone, grey shale/clay with A UPPER and sandstone carbonaceous mailer N H [ I I G LOWER MEMBER - RANIGANJ Coarse sandstone, Coarse sandstone with LOW ER A FORMATION grey shale, clays subordinate shales and N (200 m) (700 m) and coal seam coal seams J basins, Wardha Valley, Kamptee Coalfield (Srivastava chiefly Faunipollenttes and StriatopodocaJpites and & Bhattacharyya, 1996) and Mahanadi Valley (Tiwari, low percentage of some stratigraphically significant Tripathi & Jana, 1991; Tripathi, 1997). The taxa, viz., Lunatisporites, Guttulapollenites, palynoassemblages in different basins have been Corisaccites, Cho rdasporites, weylandites and summarised in Table 5. Falctsporites, indicating Late Permian (Raniganj) affinity, has been recorded in carb shale-coal Ten distinct palynoassemblages have been sequence of bore core MKD-25 from Kothagudem recognised in the succession above the Barren area. Measures and below the Upper Member of Kamthi Formation (sensu Jha & Srivastava, 1996). These An Early Triassic palynoassemblage containing palynoassemblages can be categorised under two FalCisporites and Playjordiaspora alongwith groups; the older group dominated by striate Goubinispora, Klausipol!enttes, Lunatisporites, disaccates (assemblages 1-6 from bottom) belongs to Rajmahalispora, Callialasporites, Densoisporites, Ch 0 rdasporites, Weylandites, iapol!enites, Late Permian and is recorded in Raniganj Formation Ham Crescentipollenites and Lundbladispora has been having grey shales, sandstone, carbonaceous shale recorded from Krishnavaram area of Chintalpudi and coal seams. The younger group having taeniate, sub-basin (Srivastava etal., MS). Similarly in Mahanadi non-striate disaccate pollen and cingulate cavate Basin Permian palynoassemblages (Striatopo­ spores (assemblage 7-10) belongs to Early Triassic docarpites-Faunipollenttes assemblage and Strtato­ and is identified in greenish grey shale and sandstone podocarpites-Densipol!enitesassemblage) have been sequence ofthe Lower Member ofKamthi Formation. recorded in compact grey shale-coal sequence in Red ferru ginoussandstone/siltstone of Upper Member bore-core TP-8, Talcher Coalfield (Tripathi, 1996). In do not yield palynofossils. this bore core also the Early Triassic palynoassemblage No published palynological record from Kamthi marked by Strtatopodocarpites + Lundbladispora Formation of Kothagudem sub-basin exists till date. associated with Playjordiaspora, Lunatisp 0 rites, However, recently dominance of striate disaccates Alsophyllidites, Goubinispora, Densoisporites, SRIVASTAVA & JHA- STATUS OF KAMTHI FORMATION 93

Table 5---Permlan-Triassic palynoassemblages in Godavari, Wardha, Kamptee and Mahanadi basins. (A) indicates sensu Raja Rao (1982), and (8) sensu lha and Srivastava (199(}) and Ramanamurty and Madhusudan Rao (199(}). Faunl. - FaunipoUenites; Striatopodo. = Slrlalopodocarpiles; Corl. = Corlsa<:ciles; Guttula.· GunulapoUeniles; Falel.• Falcisporltes; Striates- Striate disaccates

w GODAVARI GRABEN MAHANADI o' C) AB ASSEMBLAGE WARDHA -< KAMPTEE LITHOLOGY GODA- KOTHA- CHINTAL- Ib River Talcher VARI GUDEM PUDI 10. Lundbladrspora + Smaropodocapires * * * Densoisporites Lundbladispom u- V) - 9 LU'latrsporites + SIriaropodocapires :r: Greenish grey V) 2 Verrucosispo.-ites *** Lun£/tisporires -< f- w \;< clay/shale - cr; ::£ + cr; w 0 8. Slriates CD -< f- ~.-' imercalaled ::£ Callumispora * ** w w "" ::£ 7. Slriales + Falcisporires + in sanc!slone ** **** -- Playjlordiaspora 6 Striatopodoca,pites Corisaccites + *** Guttulapollenites w -' Striatopodocapites + 0 5 0 * ** *** Grey shale, z - Crescenttpollr?/1ites * ** * * * -< ::£ z sandslone, - -< 4. Striatopodocapites ::£ CJ cr; - Denslpollenttes ***** ** * * * ** * * * carbo shale w e-- z 3 St.-iatopodocapites and coal "'- -< cr; Parasaccites *** seam 2. Fa u nipollenties Striates + cr; sequence w Striasulcites ***** ** * * Gondisporites \;< S 1. Faunipollenites Strtafopodoca,pltes ** * **** * * * * *

Cyathidites, Concavissimisporites, Foveotriletes, palynosequence in other basins in India as well Guttatisporites, Polycingulatisporites has been other Gondwana continents. Taeniate, non-striate recorded in greenish sandstone overlying grey shale­ disaccates and cingulate cavate spores mark the coal sequence. onset of Triassic. This palynofloral transition is clearly observed in Mailaram, Budharam and Remarks--The dom inance of striate disaccate Krishnavaram areas of Godavari Graben, Bazargaon pollen has been observed in Late Permian area of Kamptee Coalfield and in Talcher Coalfield of Table 6 Mahanadi Basin. Plant Fossils Area Horizon! Lithology Reference 1. Vertebra ria, Chimalpudi Upper Member of King (1881), MEGAFLORAL EVIDENCES Glossopteris sub-basin Kamthi Formation Lakshminarayana & Phyllotheca siltstone & pinkish & Murry (1990) Godavari Graben or red claystone unit associaled Wilh grey Megaflora records from Kamthi Formation of and buff sandslone Godavari Graben are very rare and have been summarised in Table 6. 2. Fragmentary Jaipuram Upper Member Nageshwar Rao plant fossils pinkish shale/clay in Raja Rao, resembling (1982) Wardha and Kamptee Coalfields Ptilophyllum Bunbury (1861) recorded megafossils from the 3. Alethopteris Godavari - Maheshwari spp. and (1992) Kamthi beds from Nagpur area which included Pterophyllum Phyllotheca, Cladophlebis, Pecopteris, GlossopteriS, spp. Taeniopteris, Noeggerathia and Vertebra ria. Besides, 94 THE PALAEOBOTANIST a large number of Permian taxa were reported from Glossopteris angustiJolia, G. browniana, G. similar beds near Chanda (Feistmantel, 1881; Agashe communis, G.gopadensis, G. nidpurensis, G. retifera, et al., 1984), Nagpur (Hughes, 1877) and Kamptee are known from Triassic sediments also. So the area (Feistmantel, 1881). Chandra and Prasad (981) presence of Glossopteris in Kamthi Formation (Early have also recorded plant fossils from hard, compact Triassic) shows only the continuation of Permian ferruginous sandstone, buffpurple and grey coloured flora into the Triassic. Glossopteris has also been coarse sandstone unit in Kanhargaon in Wardha recorded from Mahadevas of Auranga Coalfield Valley coalfields and Bazargaon area near Nagpur. (Ball, 1880),from Upper Member ofKamthi Formation in Godavari Graben (King 1881; Lakshminarayana & Mahanadi Basin Murty, 1990), in Kamthi area (Feistmantel, 1881); and in Wardha Valley (Chandra & Prasad, 1981). In Ball (877) first described plant fossils of the Manglibeds of Wardha Valley Glossopteris occurs Kamthi beds from Mahanadi Basin. Subramanian along with Estherta (Tasch et al., 1975). Handapa and Rao Surange and Maheshwari (960), (970), beds which are lithotogicallysimUarto Upper Member Surange and Chandra (975), and Chandra and of Kamthi Formation contain a rich Glossopteris Singh (1992) described plant fossils rich in Glossopteris flora. About 50 per cent of the Glossopteris species from Handapa beds. Khan (969) described Senia known from Triassic of India are recorded in Handapa reticulata from Hinjrida Ghati section north of beds. Handapa in Talcher Coalfield and treated these beds Dicroidium odontopteroides, D. dubium, D. as equivalent to Raniganj Formation. dubium var. hingirienSiS recorded from pale brown Pal et al. (991) have recorded Lepidopterts and shale band (Chowdhury et al., 1991), Dicroidium Dicroidium in addition to Glossopteris and sp. (Pal et al., 1991) in Talchir Coalfield and Neomartopterts from Sarimunda Hill and a Dtcroidium Dicroidium sp. from red claystone, shale bed of rich flora along with Lepidopteris, Yabiella, Upper Member of Kamthi Formation in Ib-River Desmiophyllum from locality near Pathargarh in (Mukhopadhyay & Pal, 1989) suggest Early Triassic Talcher Coalfield. They considered these beds age for these beds. equivalent to the Upper Member ofKamthi Formation The Kamthi sediments from clay quarries near and assigned Late Triassic age. Dicroidium is also Bazargaon (Chandra & Prasad, 1981; Kulkarni & reported from Talcher Coalfield (Coal Wing News Parmane, 1991) having plant fossils in all probability 9(1) : 24) and Ib-River Coalfield (Mukhopadhyay & belongto the Upper Member ofthe Kamthi Formation. Paul, 1989; Chowdhury et al., 1991) in pale brown The authors have assigned Late Permian age to shale band and red claystone and shale bed at the Kamthi sediments on the basis of plant fossil top of Kamthi successions. Podozamites associated assemblage but in view of the order of superposition with Schizoneura gondwanensis and Phyllotheca is the Kamthi Formation is considered to represent recorded in red claystone bed of Kamthi Formation Early Triassic. around Punjipathra area in Raigarh Coalfield (Chakraborty & Sengupta, 1995). DISCUSSION Remarks-It is usually considered that The status of the Kamthi Formation has been Glossopteris flora is an important age (Permian) debated ever since on the basis of the fossil contents indicator for the essentially nonmarine Lower and its age was considered to be Permian/ Triassic Gondwana sequence. In view of the presence of or Permian-Triassic. Glossopterts, Phyllotheca and Vertebrarta, etc., the Recent studies mainly from the sub-surface have Kamthi Formation was assigned to Late Permian in allowed to classify the Kamthi Group of King, into age. However, Glossoptertsspecies continue to occur Barren Measures (450 ± 50 m), Raniganj Formation in Triassic also. The presence of Glossopte1ts along (650 ± 50 m) and Kamthi Formation (Lower Member with Lepidoptertsand Dicroidium has been recorded 500-600 m and Upper Member 450 ± 50 m), in order from equivalent beds near Sarimunda Hills close to of superposition (Ramanamurthy & Madhusudan Handapa (Pal et aI., 1991), and dated as Triassic. Rao, 1996). This classification is largely based on SRIVASTAVA & JHA- STAruS OF KAMTHI FORMATION 95

lithological characteristics and mineral contents. It Ball V 1880. On the Auranga and Hutar Coalfields and the iron ores of has been further modified through palynological Palamow and Toree. Mem. geot. Sum India 15(1) : 1-127. Blanford wr 1868. Coal near Nagpur. Rec. geot. SUn!. India 22(2) : 23­ studies and minor readjustment in the thickness of 54. Lower Member has been suggested (Srivastava &Jha Blanford wr 1872. On the description of geology of Nagpur and its 1996). In su b-surface studies these sequences have neighbourhood. Mem. geot. SUn!. India 9(2) : 295-358. been identified in bore hole GAM-7 from Mailaram Bunbury CJF 1861. Notes on a collection of fossil plants from Nagpur, area, bore-hole GBR-7 from Budharam area in central India. Q.]I geot. Soc. London 17 : 325-346. Godavari Graben, bore-hole DGW-6 from Bazargaon Chakraborty B & Sengupta S 1995. New fossil find. Coal Wing News 14(2) & 15(1) : 24. near Nagpur, bore-hole MWCK-2 in Wardha Basin Chakraborty SN, Das SN & Banerjee SP 1967. Final report on inves and bore-hole Tcw-6 in Talchir Coalfield. ligalion by drilling in lhe central part of Talcher Coalfield, Orissa. Unpublished Report. Geological SUn!ey o/India. In: Raja Rao 1982. The Lower Member of Kamthi sediments (sensu Chandra S & Prasad MNV 1981. Fossil plants from the Kamthi Formation Jha &Srivastava, 1996) in the above mentioned bore ofMaharashtra and their biostratigraphic significance. Palaeobotanist cores have revealed the presence of Panchet 28-29 : 99-121. equivalent palynoflora. This sequence represents Chandra S & Singh KJ 1992. The genus Glossopteris from the Late Permian beds of Handapa, Orissa, India. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. the Early Triassic (=Scythian) in Wardha-Godavari 75 : 183-218. (Jha & Srivastava, 1996); Kamptee (Srivastava & Chowdhury PN, Bose S & Pal AK 1991. A Middle Triassic age for the Bhattacharyya, 1996) Mahanadi basins (Tripathi, Kamthi FOffi,ation of Lower Gondwana, lb River Basin, Orissa: and New Palaeobotanical evidence. Coal Wing News 11(1) : 12. 1996). Feistmantel 0 1881. The fossil flora of the Gondwana System. The flora of the Damuda and Panchet divisions. Mem. geol Sum India The Upper Member of the Kamthi Formation in Palaeonr indica, ser. 12(3): 1-149. Godavari Graben compares closely with the rocks Hughes 1WH 1877. The Wardha Valley coalfields. Mem. geol SUn!. India exposed in the type area near Kamthi. This member 13(1) : 1-154. often gives rise to prominent topographic features in Jha N & Srivastava SC 1996. Kamthi Formation - Palynofloral diversity. In : Guha PK et al. (Editors)-Gondwana Nine 1: 355-368. Wardha-Godavari and Mahanadi basins and shows Hindustan Pub!. Co., New Delhi. overlapping nature with the underlying beds. This Khan AM 1969. Senia reticulata, a new plant fossil from the Raniganj unit lithologically fits with the "Kamthi" strata often rocks of the Talcher Coalfield, Orissa, India. In: Santapau H et at. (Editors)-j. Sen Mem. Vol: 335-337. Bot. Soc. Bengal, Calcuna. described by earlier workers like Blanford, Hughes King W 1881. The geology of Pranhita-Goclavari Valley. Mem. geol SUn! and King. India 18(3): 150-311. The plant fossils described so far from Wardha Kulkarni KM & Parmane PV 1991. Two pteridophytic fronds from Kamthi Formation, Bazargaon, district Nagpur, Maharashtra, India. Birbal Valley (Bunbury, 1861), Bazargaon area (Chandra & Sahni BIrth Centenary Palaeobotamcal Conference, Lucknow: 72 Prasad, 1981), Mahanadi (Chandra & Singh, 1992; (Abstract). Pal etat., 1991) belong to this Upper Member of the Kuny TS, Jain SL & Roy Chowdhury T 1988. Gondwana sequence of the northern Pranhita Godavari Valley: its stratigraphy and vertebrate Kamthi Formation. faunas. 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