IJRBAT, Special Issue (2), Vol-V, July 2017 ISSN No. 2347-517X (Online)

Salvinia Sahanii Sp. Nov. A Pteridophytic Sporocarp from Deccan Intertrappean Beds of Marai Patan, Maharashtra, India.

Ramteke Deepak* and Kapgate Dashrath Department of Botany, J.M. Patel College Bhandara Email: [email protected] Abstract Plant fossil are usually fragments of separated part such as roots, stems, leaves, petioles, flowers, spores, fruits, seeds etc. In central India, these are chiefly found in Deccan Intertrappean beds. The present work completed through intensive study pteridophytic sporocarp Salvinia sahanii s p nov. is considered to be the megasporocarp from the Deccan Intertrappean beds of Marai Patan (N 190 34.322; E 79008.402) of Chandrapur district (M.S.) was described in considerable detail.. The fossils were recovered by breaking pieces of chert Successive peels were taken from the broken surface. The sporocarp is isolated with small stalk and fertile leaf. The sporocarp contains five megaspores. Megaspores are oval to circular in shape. Megaspores have 14 to 17 vertical ridges in the perisporial wall. The specimen described here has now added to our knowledge about this plant species. Key Words: Pteridophytic, Sporocarp, Salvinia, Megasporocarp, Deccan Intertrappean, etc

INTRODUCTION of extant Salvinia. Although Chitaley (1951) The Deccan Intertrappean beds in central India have recognized five pteridophytic spore genera in yielded a diverse flora dominated by angiosperm palynomorph assemblage, pteridophytic woods, le aves, flowers and fruits. Fossils whose macrofossils appear to be scarce in the lacustrine to ne arest living relatives are wetland plants are ve ry estuarine cherts in Chhindwara district, Madhya abundant in the fossil record Sahni & Rao (1943), Pradesh, India. He terosporous sporocarps, Chitaley (1977), Paradkar & Barlinge (1979), described so far from the Deccan Intertrappeans are Nambudiri & Chitaley (1991). In many cases facies Kuprianovaites deccanianus (Nambudiri and association and taphonomic considerations, as well Thomas, 1969), Surangea mohgaoense (Chitale y and as morphological features (e.g. aerenchyma Sheikh, 1971) and Rodeites deccanianus (Chitaley he terophylly) and more rarely rooting in situ, and Paradkar, 1971, 1972). Chitaley (1977) briefly conclusively demonstrate the wetland habitat of the reported ne w specimens of pe rmineralized ancient plants (e.g. Paradkar and Barlinge , 1977, sporocarps resembling extant Salvinia and Azolla 1979; Collinson, 1980). Because of the ir abundance from the Deccan Intertrappean cherts of Mohgaon these fossils have provided excellent examples of Kalan. Paradkar and Barlinge (1979) reported on the morphological change through time which have morphological details of the micro and conside rable potential for evolutionary and me gasporocarps of Salvinia intertrappea. Salvinitis phylogenetic analyses. These wetland fossils are also deccaniana (Nambudiri & Chitaley, 1991) reported significant for interpretation of ancient lacustrine, sporocarp with single megaspore. marsh and swamp communites and ecosystems, Follow in account of Salvinia sahanii sp nov. their spatial and temporal succession and evolution, sporocarp is considered to be the megasporocarp and the ir response to global environmental change from the Deccan Intertrappean beds of Marai Patan (Collinson 1980, Collinson & Hooker 2000). (N 190 34.322; E 79008.402) of Chandrapur district Sahni et al. (1934) reported Sausarospermum (M.S.) was described in considerable de tail. The fermori which, at that time, the y considered to be a sporocarp is isolated with small stalk and fertile leaf. gymnospermous seed. Sahni and Rao (1943) The sporocarp contain five me gaspores. Me gaspores subsequently described megaspores, massulae and are oval to circular in shape. Megaspores have 14 to vege tative remains of Azolla intertrappea and a new 17 ve rtical ridges in the pe risporial wall. The ge nus Massullites coelatus. Mahabale (1950) specimen described here has now added to our recognized that the two genera, Sausarospermum knowledge about this plant specie s. and Massullites resembled mega and micro-spores

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MATERIAL AND METHODS Anatomical features- Stalk: The stalk has three The material is collected from the Fie ld of the Marai layered cells. The outer layer is thin Patan region of Chandrapur district, Maharashtra, parenchymatous cells which is undifferentiated India. The fossil material of leptosporangiate water me asuring 10-21 µm in thickness. The middle layer fern were found in black cherts. After breaking and is composed of thick walled, squarish to hexagonal itching the chert with hydrofluoric acid, the cells with dark contents. It has 4 to 8 ce lls in specimen was exposed in longitudinal section. The thickness measuring 11-19 µm in thickness. Few air specimen was exposed and observed by naked eyes. spaces are present. The inner layer is composed of It appears triangular-round. On the pie ce of chert e longated, two to three cells in thickness measuring specimens of Salvinia were preserved. Several 8-15 µm in thickness. Below the inner layer of the ce llulose acetate peel sections were prepared from stalk, big air cavity is present (Pl.2 fig.3). rock surface. Serial pee l sections enabled The wall of sporocarp is two layered. The anatomical and morphological studies of the outer laye r of the wall is composed of thick walled specimen for better understanding of their columnar cells. The inne r layer is composed of thin structure. walled cells (Pl.2 fig.6). DESCRIPTION Spore The longitudinally exposed sporocarp is tetrahydral In the me gasporangia there are five enclosing megaspores. Megaspore is triangular to me gaspores unequal in size oval to eliptical circular, having three sides giving triangle like indicating the deve loping stage. They are bigge r in appearance (Pl.2 fig.4) to the spore and globose i.e. size. The diameter of each megaspore ranges from having circular outline (Pl.2 figs.1, 2). On closer 70 to 110 µm. The shape of each spore is triangular study it has been found to be the trile te-perinous to circular. Each spore is surrounded by three spore type of megaspore with 70-85 µm in polar diameter coats. and 95-110 µm in equatorial diameter, having a Exospore: It is outer, thick, hard, compact and peculiar frill of perisporium (Pl.2 fig.4). No vascular uniform/homogeneous exosporial coat about 5µ traces are obse rved in the section. thick (Pl.1 fig.3). Sporocarp Endospore: It is the inne rmost layer, adjacent to the Morphological features- The sporocarp is isolated cell cytoplasm. with small stalk and fertile leaf (Pl.1 fig.1). The Perispore: It is outermost layer, also known as oblong sporocarp is 2.1 mm long and 0.9 mm wide perisporium showing the spongy perisporial frill of enclosing five me gaspores (Pl.1 fig.2). Degraded 30 µm to 60 µm thickness, composed of much material inside the megasporocarp (Pl.1 figs.4, 5) enlarged rectangular cells. It constitutes main part may represent sporo-ge nous tissue. The sporocarp of the wall. Megaspores have 14 to 17 vertical ridges wall is divided into an outer and an inner wall. The in the perisporial wall (Pl.2 fig.4). A distinct gap is triangular to circular megaspore is 95-110 µm long seen in be tween the pe risporium and the exospores and 70-85 µm wide. Multicellular thin walled stalk indicating the presence of parenchymatous tissues. is prese nt attached to sporocarp wall. The stalk is A distinct oval to triangular foot is observed in e ach 0.3 x 0.5 mm in size . me gaspore. The ce ll structure of foot is not clear (Pl.2 fig. 5).

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DISCUSSION AND IDENTIFICATION Barlinge (1984) as a most evolved feature. From the For assigning the fossil pteridophytic sporocarp, it is above discussion it is interesting to note that this compared with living genera of mode rn species of fossil megaspore is closely related to, but certainly Salvinia. The available literature was thoroughly not identical with Salvinia auriculata and Salvinia searched for the anatomical and morphological intertrappea. characters. Comparison with reported fossil species From the above description following important The present me gaspore is compared with features are confirmed: following reported fossil Salvinia spores:- ‹ Present me gaspore is large sized. Sausarospermum fermori (Sahni et al., 1934) differs ‹ Triangular, having three sides giving triangle in having small, oval, elliptical, seed like bodies, like appearance and globose i.e. having circular each having peculiar frill about it, and two coating outline. in the midst. At the apex there is a beak like ‹ The re are peculiar frill of pe risporium present projection. Massulites (Sahni & Rao, 1943) differs in with 14 to 17 vertical ridges. having small, hollow, spherical bodies of pseudo- ‹ No vascular traces are seen. cellular mass in which numbe r of small rounded ‹ The spore wall shows distinct three layers: the spore are embedded. Salvinia intertrappea intine (endospore), the exine (exospores), and (Mahabale , 1950) inve stigates on living three the perine (perispore). Salvinia species, Mahabale comes on the conclusion ‹ Foot in the perisporial wall. that Sausarospermum is the megaspore and From the above features the pteridophytic specimen Massulites is the microspore of the fossil species, confirmed as megaspore of Salvinia. named as Salvinia intertrappea. The perispore is For ide ntification present specimen of above separated from the me gaspore by a layer of described me gaspore, it is compared with living as rectangular cells. The beak reported by Sahni et al., we ll as reported fossil Salvinia from the Deccan (1934) and Mahabale (1950) is lacking in present Intertrappean beds of India. spores. Comparison with their material suggests Comparison with modern species several differences between their material and It is compared with the sporocarps and Salvinitis patanii. Main differences are found in the isolated megaspores of following mode rn Salvinia number of megaspores, layers of megaspore wall species. Such as Salvinian atanus Hoffm., Salvinia (two in present specimen and single layered in cucullata Roxb., Salvinia intertrappea and Salvinia theirs) and the prese nce of prothallial tissue auriculata Aub. Comparison with modern species of obse rved by Paradkar and Barlinge (1979), which is Salvinia leaves no doubt regarding similarities with absent in present specimen. Salvinitis deccaniana the sporocarp described in this paper. At the same (Nambudiri & Chitaley, 1991) shows similarities in time , several differences in the structure of the ovate sporocarp, sporocarp wall, thick pe rispore sporocarp are noticed. One of the major differences with wavy outline but differs in having ovate be tween the prese nt fossil species and species of sporocarps e nclosing a single megaspore, modern Salvinia is in the organization of the me gaspore attached to the perispore by a triangular sporocarp wall. In extant species the sporocarp wall foot, several hairy outgrowths are attached to the is formed of a single layer of cells which initially outer wall of the sporocarp. develops as an indusium (Eames, 1936). In our Considering the above differences between material however, the sporocarp wall is divided into present material and othe r extant and fossil ones, two distinct layers, each of them several cells thick. the present specimen warrants a new species name The perispore is formed of a mass of rectangular as Salvinitis sahanii sp. nov. tissues. The presence of a well de fine d foot obse rved DIAGNOSIS in the me gaspore of the present specimen is rather Salvinia sahanii sp. nov. puzzling. In extant species of Salvinia once the A triangular, subglobose, trile te-perinous type of spores are liberated from the sporocarp, they rise to me gaspore with 70-85 om in polar diame ter and 95- the water surface and fertilization takes place . 110 om in equatorial diameter with highly Eames (1936) reported that a foot which deve lops vacuolized frill of perisporium about spore wall after fertilization, functions as a haustorium. The which showing distinct three laye rs: intine foot in extant species, like in present fossil mate rial, (endospore), innermost layer exine (exospores) quite e nlarged. The megaspore enclosed by the compact homogeneous coat about 5 µ thick, and the pe risporium wall with a foot, suggesting that perine (pe rispore) outermost, main part of the wall, fertilization occurs, in present specimen, while the showing the spongy perisporial frill of 30 µm to 60 megaspore is still within the sporocarp tissue. An µm thickness. No vascular traces. Foot oval to intrasporic embryo as reported here and in other triangular fossil Salvinia was considered by Paradkar and SHRI SHIVAJI SCIENCE COLLEGE, NAGPUR 546 ICRTS-2017 IJRBAT, Special Issue (2), Vol-V, July 2017 ISSN No. 2347-517X (Online)

Palaeovegetational and Palaeoenvironmental Regarding palaeogeography and palaeoclimate, this implications biota belonging to marine, estuarine , fresh water, The influence of Deccan volcanic activity on marshy and terrestrial habitats with a warm contemporary biotas has been a matter of intense tropical climate with heavy rain fall, a long debate and controversy ever since it was suggested that duration of rainy season. The temperature was the volcanic eruptions may represent a major uniform throughout the year in the Deccan trap Cretaceous-Tertiary boundry e vent and may have country as against a comparatively dry, given rise to geochemical anomalies in transitional subtropical c limate at the prese nt time . Prese nce seque nce. The plant fossil assemblage was of such a humid climate may be indicated to the recovered in association with a variety of plants almost equatorial position of peninsular India and from the Deccan Interrrappean beds of India. seashore conditions during this pe riod. Holotype: - DDR/Pterido./Deposited at Dept. of Botany, J. M. Patel College,Bhandara. Horizon: - Deccan Intertrappean Series. Locality: - Maraipatan, Maharashtra. Age: - Late Cretaceous (Maastritchian)-Palaeoge ne

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Acknowledgements: The authors are grateful to Chitaley, S.D. and Sheikh, M.T. (1971). Surangea Prof. Subhash R. Somkuwar, He ad, Department of mohgaoense gen. et sp. nov., a pteridophytic Botany, Dr Ambedkar College , Deekshabhoomi fructification from Deccan Intertrappean beds Nagpur. DDR also acknowledge the support of Dr. of India. Geophytology, I: 123-126. Prashant Ingale Dept. of Zoology Shri. Shivaji Chitaley, S.D. and Paradkar, S.A. (1972). Rodeites Science College, Nagpur for the ir valuable guidance Sahni-Re investigated-I. Journal of Linn. during the work. Society London, 65: 109-117. REFERENCES Chitaley, S.D. (1977). Petrifie d Sporocarp of Eames, A.J. (1936). Morphology of Vascular Plants. Salviniaceae. Current Science 46: 25. McGraw-Hill, Ne w York, 433 pp. Collinson, M.E. (1980). A new multiple-floated Chitaley, S.D. (1951). Fossil microflora from the Azolla from the Eocene of Britain with a brief MohgaonKalan beds of the Madhya Pradesh, review of the genus. Palaeontology, 23: 213- India. National Institute of Science India 219. Proceedings, 17.: 373-383. Collinson, M.E. and Hooker, J.J. (2000). Gnaw Chitaley, S.D. and Paradkar, S.A. (1971). Rodeites marks on Eocene seeds: evidence for early Sahni-Re investigated - I. Palaeobotanist, 20: rodent behaviour. Palaeogeography, 293-296. Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 157: 127- 149. SHRI SHIVAJI SCIENCE COLLEGE, NAGPUR 548 ICRTS-2017 IJRBAT, Special Issue (2), Vol-V, July 2017 ISSN No. 2347-517X (Online)

Mahabale, T.S. (1950). A species of fossil Salvinia Paradkar, S.A. and Barlinge, S.G. (1984). from De ccan Intertrappean series, India. Embryology of fossil Salvinia intertrappea Nature, London. 65: 400-411. Mahabale and its impact on the taxonomy of Nambudiri, E.M.V. and Thomas, M.K. (1969). the genus. Evolutionary Botany and Kuprianovaites deccanii gen. et sp. nov., a new Biostratigraphy., A.K. Ghosh commemoration petrified sporocarp from the Deccan Volume . India, pp.73-82. lntertrappean beds of Mohgaon Kalan. Sahni, B., Srivastava, B.P. and Rao, H.S. (1934). The Journal of Palynology, 5: 51-52. silicified flora from the Deccan intertrappean Nambudiri, E.M.V. and Chitaley, S.D. (1991). Fossil Se ries. Pt. III. Sausarospermum fermori gen. et salvinia and Azolla from the Deccan sp. nov., Pt. IV. Azolla intertrappeasp. nov. Intertrappean beds of India. Review of Proc. Indian Science congress Bombay: 26-27. palaeobotany and Palynology 69: 325-336. Sahni, B. and Rao, H.S. (1943). A silicified flora from Paradkar, S.A. and Barlinge, S.G. (1979). Salvinia the Deccan Intertrappean che rts round intertrappea Mahabale reinvestigated: PP. Sausar in the Deccan. Proceedings of 494-499 in Bharadwaj D.C. et al (Editor) Proc. National Academy of Sciences India, 13: 36- 4th in Palynol. Lucknow, 1976-77 I, Birbal 75. sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, Lucknow.

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