Some Plant Remains from Hoshangabad District, Madhya Pradesh
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'the Palaeobofallisf, 26(3); 206-213, 1980. SOME PLANT REMAINS FROM HOSHANGABAD DISTRICT, MADHYA PRADESH SUKH-DEV & ZEBA-BANO Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, Lucknow-226 007, India ABSTRACT In this paper, Taelliopferis spafulafa McClelland, PtilophyllulIl aClltijoliulIl Morris, P. cutchellse Morris, P. illstifacallulIl Bose and Pagiophyllum manvarellsis Bose & Sukh-Dev are described from the Jurassic rocks (Gondwana) of Hoshangabad District. Except Ptilophyllt.m illstitacallllm and Pagiophyllum manvarellsis which are pre~erved as incrustations, the rest are in the form of impressions. Key-words - Cycadales, Pteridophytes, Jurassic, Hoshangabad (India). ~~"'l'ITif "Rlfq, ll"'<-1l l$r it ~ q1<j1r i3R"m- -- ~ ~ ~-<fAt WWTU-q"(;f if lifflm "f'f'R 'liT~fu'Ii ifiTiilTOl ~ (tiTm) ~ iTf.roqm. ~eT ~~:s, ~~iTf'li~ ~i1g;Tf~l:l1f mfur, eTo q;,,~r~· lrifur, eTo ~fi1~~, q'ffi CI~ ilf~q;;~ ~1~"'lI{f~~~ <fro ~ ~ 'liT m fil;<n lp:ff ~ I ~ it" ~ if ~ cr#q;;~ ~fi1~i~ cr~ ilf~lf!~ ll"m"m~ it" ~ ~ trm ~ it" ~ if iiq~~ ~ I Recently a large number of plant fossils from this district have been collected. ferousthe Hoshangabadoutcrops of theDistrictJurassictheage1.oSSili•are INfound near Jhirnapur on the Morand Out of them the pteridophytes have already River (22°19': 77°28'), Jatamao (22°23': been described in detail by Zeba-Bano 77°35'), Khatama (22°29': 77°44') and (1979) and this paper deals with the descrip• Parsapani (22°35': 78°3'). The plant tive account of some gymnosperms. remains in them are mostly preserved as impressions. Some incrustations are found in the carbonaceous shales near Parsapani. DESCRIPTION Our knowledge of the Jurassic flora of this district is based on Zeiller (1902), Seward CYCADALES and Sahni (1920), Crookshank (1935, 1936), Shah and Singh (1965a, b) and Zeba-Bano (1979). Most of the plant remains of this Genus - Taeniopteris Brongniart region have been listed. Only a small number of them have been described and illustrated: these are Moranocladus Taeniopteris spatulata McClelland oldhami (Zeill.) Sahni from Morand Valley; PI. 2, fig. 11; Text-fig. lA-B Hausmannia crookshanki Shah & Singh, H. dichotoma Dunker, H. buchii Andreae, Description - Incomplete leaf, simple, Cladophlebis medlicottiana (Old h.) Pascoe, petiolate, 3·0xO·7 em. Pdiole short, 5 mm Sphenopteris anderssonii Halle, Sphenopteris long and 1 mm wi.de. Lamina attached sp. from Jatamao; and Gleichenites sp. slightly above the lateral margin of midrib, from Parsapani. gradually tapering towards base, at places 206 SUKH-DEV & ZEBA-BANO - PLANT REMAINS FROM HOSHANGABAD DISTRICT 207 ) F o E A c B ;:;:;=- - •• 0- -~.. •.. =-....-.~ ~-~.-~ H TEXT-FIG. 1 - A-B. Taeniopteris spatl/lata McClelland. A. Specimen no. 66/1438 x 1. B. Specimen no. 57/1438 x 1. C, D. Ptilophyllu/71 acutijoliu/71 Morris. C. Specimen no. 40/1438 x I. D. A pinna from above specimen enlarged showing venation x 2. E, F. Pti/ophyllll/71 clitchense Morris. E. Specimen no. 52/1434 x 1. F. Few pinnae enlarged showing venation, specimen no. 62/1434 x 2. G-I. Pti/ophylll//71 institacal/l//71 Bose. G. Specimen no. PP-A x I. H. Showing distribution of stomata on lower cuticle in 1 sq mm, slide no. PP-B-(2) x 40. I. Showing few marginal cells of lower surface, slide no. PP-B-(5) x 500. uneven in breadth, two longitudinal halves Comparison - The species is extremely of lamina unequal in width. Margin entire rare at Parsapani. Only a single specimen to slightly undulate. Apex not preserved. in counter part has been collected. In gross Midrib thick, uniformly broad, having fine features it closely resembles Taeniopteris longitudinal striations. Majority of veins spatulata McClelland described by Oldham simple, sometimes bifurcating just after and Morris (1863) from the Rajmahal emergence, arising at an angle of about Hills and by Feistmantel (1879, pI. 1, figs 65°-7?o, running paraIJel up to the 8-10) from Madras Coast. The present margm. specimen exactly matches with some of the Collection - Museum specimen no. 57/ specimens of T. spatulata described by 1438 (C.P. 66/1438), Birbal Sahni Institute Seward and Holttum (1922, pI. 12, figs 1, of Palaeobotany, Lucknow. 2, 4, 6a) from Ceylon. T. spatulata shows Locality - Near Parsapani, Hoshangabad some resemblance with T. thomsoniana District. described by Arber (1917, pI. 8, figs 4, 7) Horizon & Age - Jabalpur Formation, from New Zealand in shape, size and Jurassic. venation of the leaf. 208 THE PALAEOBOTANIST BENNETTITALES or completely covered by pinnae, 0'1-0'2 cm wide. Pinnae attached on upper surface Genus - Ptilophyllurn Morris of rachis at an angle of 63°-67°, alternate, ovate, typically 0'8-1'2 cm long and 0'2• Ptilophyllum acufijolium Morris 0'3 cm broad at the base, margin straight PI. 1, figs 1-3; Text-fig. 1C-D or rarely slightly falcate, apex obtuse, basal acroscopic margin rounded, basiscopic Description - Leaf pinnate:, available margin slightly decurrent, pinnae bases length 2'5-7 cm and bre2.dth 1'5-3 cm in touc,ling each other or slightly overlapping. the middle, narrowing gradually towards Veins arising from whole base of pinnae, base and apex. Rachis mostly concealed 6-7, forked or unforked, when forked once, by pinnae bases. Pinnae att".ched on the parallel. uppe:r surface: of rachis at an ,~ngle of 35°• Collection - Museum specimen nos. 27/ 56°, elongate to subulate, typically 1'6-2 cm 1434, 37/1434, 49/1434, 52/1434, 62/1434, long and ,. 5-2 mm broad at the base, 27/1438, 44/1438 and 63/1438, Birbal Sahni straight or falcate, alternate, rarely su b• Institute of Palaeobotany, Lucknow. opposite, acroscopic margin rounded and Localities ~- Near Jatamao and Parsapani, basiscopic margin slightly decurrent, mostly Hoshangabad District. pinnae margin touching each other or Horizon & Age - Jabalpur Formation, slightly overlapping near base. Margin Jurassic. entire. Apex acute. Veins 5 to 7, arising Comparison - The present specimens from whole pinna base, majority unforked, resemble most some of the specimens of when forked only onc·,::, parallel. P. institacallum described by Bose and Collection - Museum specimen nos. 16/ Kasat (1972, pL. 8, figs 68-73). But in the 1434, 16"/1434, 22/1434, 24/1434, 47/1434, absence of cuticle we have described them 53/1434, 23/1435, 40/1438, 48/1438, 64/ here under P. cufchense. Some of the 1438 and 73/1438, Birbal Salllli Institute of present specimens may be compared with Palaeobotany, Lucknow. P. cutchense described by Feistmantel Localities - Morand River near (1877b, pI. 6, fig. 1) from Sher River, Jhirnapur, near Jatamao and Parsapani, Fe:istmantel (I 877a; Oldham & Morris, Hoshangabad District. 1863, pI. 22, figs 2, 3, 6) from Rajmahal, Horizon & Age - Jabalpur Formation, Feistmantel (1879, pI. 8, fig. 4) from Vema• Jurassic. varam and Bose and Kasat (1972, pI. 1, Comparison - Majority of the specimens figs 9, 10; pI. 2, figs 14, 17) from Vema• are preserved in the form of impressions. varam and Kakadbhit. However, a few have a thin carbonized crust but no cuticular preparation could be made out of them. Some of the speci• Ptilophyllum institacallum Bose mens in the present collection resemble PI. 1, figs 6-10; Text-fig. 1G-I very much P. jabalpurense Jacob & Jacob described by Bose and Kasat (1972, pI. 7, Description - Leaves pinnate, incomplete, fig. 58; pI. 9, fig. 79). The gross features up to 1'9 cm in length and approximately of the pinnae are exactly like those of the 1'4 em in width. Rachis thick, 2 mm pinnae of P. jabalpurense. But in the wide, partly concealed by pinnae bases. absence of cuticle we have, at present, Pinnae alternate or sub-opposite, 6-8 X 2-2.5 preferred to place our specimens under mm, closely set on upper surface of rachis P. acutljolium. at an angle of about 75°-80°. Pinnae bases asymmetrical, acroscopic basal margin rounded, basiscopic margin decurrent. Ptilophyllum cufchense Morris Margin entire. Apex obtuse. Venation PI. 1, figs 4, 5; Text-fig. 1E-F obscure. Cells of rachis on both sides squarish to Description - Leaf pinnate, lamina as a rectangular, sometimes polygonal. Anticli• whole narrow, linear, more or less uni• nal walls thick, straight or undulating, at formly broad, available length 4'5-5'2 cm places sinuous. Periclinal wall devoid of and breadth 1'3-1'5 cm. Rachis partially papillae. SUKH-DEV & ZEBA-BANO- PLANT REMAINS FROM HOSHANGABAD DISTRICT 209 Upper cuticle of lamina poorly preserved small, lanceolate, spirally arranged, arising and devoid of stomata. Cells irregular in from a rhomboidal leaf-base cushion, shape and siu, squarish or polygonal. directed forward or spreading laterally, Anticlinal walls sinuous with prominent falcate, keeled. Margin entire. Apex loops, periclinal wall unspecialized. Lower acute. cuticle differentiated into non-stomatal, Cuticle almost of same thickness on both non-papillate marginal region and sides, amphistomatic. Stomata more on stomatiferous, papillate central region. upper surface than lower, arranged in two Marginal region 8-11 Cells broad, cells longitudinal zones, stomatal zones lying squarish, rectangular or polygonal; anti• close to margin and meeting towards apex, clinal walls sinuous, periclinal wall un• leaving a c~ntral non-stomatic zone. specializ~d. Cells of stomatiferous region Stomata within each zone arranged in squarish to polygonal, highly papillate. short, discontinuous files, usually trans• Papillae about ]-5, crescent-shaped or versely plaCed, sometimes obliquely or less irregular in shape and size, thickly cuti• commonly longitudinally placed, s:)metime nized, joining to form a frill-like structure, sharing a common subsidiaxy cd\. Stomata obscuring outlines of cells and I·~aving more or less oval or circular, sunken. hollow, more or less circular area in the Subsidiary cells 4-7, mostly 4 or 5, more middle of the cells. Cell outlines, when cutinized than the ordinary epidermal cells visible, wavy or sinuous.