THE FOSSIL FLORA OF THE JABALPUR SERIES - 2. FILICALES

M. N. BOSE Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, Lucknow

ABSTRACT cribed by Seward from the English Wealden Onychiop"is psilotoides (Stokes & Webb), Cladophle• ( 1894) and Cape Colony (1903) and by bis sp. cf. C. longipennis ( Seward ), Cladophlebis sp., Oishi ( 1931 ) from Takata, Japan, in its habit Coniopteris hymenophylloides ( Brongniart) Seward, and in the form of the ultimate segments. Coniopteris sp. cf. C. hymenophylloides (Brongniart ) Remarks - The age of the J abalpur series Sewarcl and Sphenopteris sp. are here described from jabalpur and Sehora, Madhya Pradesh. is still a matter of controversy. According to Feistmantel (1877), Cotter (1917) and INTRODUCTION Crookshank ( 1936 ) they are Middle or Upper in age; Matley ( 1921 ) and Arkell ( 1956) consider them to be Lower Creta• THEsubjectfilicineanof this paperremainswereformingcollectedthein ceous. The presence of O. psilotoides, which 1948 from the Chui hills, Jabalpur, and is a characteristic Wealden , supports in 1957 from Sehora (Sher river cutting), the latter view. Narsinghpur district. These localities were Locality - Sehora, Narsinghpur District, discovered as early as 1860 by Medlicott and Madhya Pradesh. the fossils from them were described by Feistmantel (1877). Among the Filicales ? OSi\IUNDACEAE Feistmantel had described only S/Jhenopteris Genus Cladophlebis Brongniart argu,ta, Diksonia sp. and Cladophlebis d. Cladophlebis SP. d. C. longipennis SEWARD ( Alethopteris) whitbyensis. Later Deb (1932) PI. 1, Figs. 1, 2 reported another species of Cladophlebis, C. indica, from J abalpur and Crookshank The present collection includes numerous (1935) recorded two species of H au,smannia • specimens resembling Cladophlebis longipennis H. dichotoma and H. bu,chii from J atamao, Seward ( 1894). But none of the specimens Madhya Pradesh. collected shows the bipinnate form. Largest DESCRIPTION pinnae about 8·5 em. long and 1 em. broad. Pinnules 3-5 mm. long and 2-4 mm. broad. All the species recorded here are fragmen• Veins rarely visible. Other characters of the tary and none of them bears the fertile parts. pinnae and the pinnules same as C. lOl1gi• The fossils from the Chui hills are preserved pennis described by Seward. as impressions on a greyish white clay and Remarks - This species is rather common,' those from Sehora are carbonized. and the pinnules are of variable size. Locality - Sehora, Narsinghpur District, POL YPODIACEAE Madhya Pradesh. Genus Onychiopsis Yokoyama Cladophlebis SP. Onychiopsis psilotoides ( STOKES & WEBB) PI. 1, Figs. 3, 4 PI. 1, Fig3. 8-11 Five specimens, all of them sterile, are here Pl. 1, Figs. 3-4 show pinnae of two imp~r• assigned to the genus Onychiopsis Yokoyama feet specimens. Pinnae are simple, alternate, ( 1890). The best specimens are figured in long, linear-Ianceolate, broader and inequi• P1. 1, Figs. 8-11. Detached pinnae as well as lateral at the base, tapering towards the apex, bipinnate fronds have been collected. Largest margin entire. Secondary veins mostly divid• bipinnate frond about 7·5 em. in length. The ing only once. pinnae about 2-6 em. in length, slender and Comparison - The pinnae of the pres~nt linear in outline, attached to the rachis in alter• specimens resemble the pinnae of Osmu,nda nate manner. The pinnules small, lanceolate, stu,rii described by Raciborski ( 1890, 1894 ). acutely directed forward. Veins not visible. But nonc of our specimens are bipinnate Compan;son - Present fronds resemble to and moreover, the pinnules of O. stu,rii are a great extent Onychiopsis psilotoides des- mostly smaller in sizc. 90 BOSE - THE FOSSIL FLORA OF THE J ABALPUR SERIES - 2. FILICALES 91

Remarks - From the material so far col• figured specimens of Seward (1900, PL. lected, it is impossible to judge whether the XVII, FIG. 3 ), Yabe and Oishi (1929, PL. specimens are detached pinnae of a bipinnate XXI, FIG. 1) and Sze ( 1931, PL. 5, FIG. 7). frond or they are only simply pinnate forms. RenLar/~s - This form seems to be rather Locality - Sehora, Narsinghpur District, rare. Madhya Pradesh. Locality - Chui hills, Jabal pur. CYATHEACEAE Genus Sphenopteris Brongniart Genus Coniopteris Brongniart Sphenopteris SP. Coniopteris hymenophylloides PI. 1, Fig. 7 (BRONGNIART) Seward PI. 1, Fig. 5 Several fragmentary specimens have been A portion of a sterile foliage is seen on PI. 1, collected from Jabalpur. Mostly bipinnate Fig. 5, which may be compared closely with (? tripinnate) with a slender rachis from such forms of C. hymenophylloides as have which linear pinnae are given off alternately. been described by Seward ( 1900, 1911 ), Sze Pinnules varying in shape, ovate with blunt (1933) and P'an ( 1936). or acuminate apex. At the base the pinnules Remarks- There are only two specimens in contiguous, near the apical region even the collection and their venation is not clear. united, leaving only a portion of their apex Locality - Chui hills, J abalpur. free. Margin entire. Secondary veins rarely bifurcating. Coniopteris SP. d. C. hymenophylloides Remarhs - This species is quite abundant, and variable in form. May be compared ( BRONGNIART) SEWARD with Sphenopteris sp. d. zarecznyi (Raci• PI. 1, Fig. 6 borski ) from Kamenka described by Thomas Only a single specimen was obtained. (1911 ). Pinnules of this form resemble those of the Locality - Chui hills, Jabalpur.

REFERENCES

ARK ELL, W. j. (1956). Jurassic Geology of the Idem ( 1894). Flora Kopalna ogniotrwalych glinek World. London. Krakowskich. Pamie/nik Wydz. ma/. przyr. 18. COTTER,G. DE P. ( 1917 ). A revised classification SEWARD,A. C. ( 1894). Catalogue of the :\lesoz~ic of the Gondwana System. Rec. Ceol. Surv. in the clepartment of Geology, Britioh India. 48. Museum. The \Vealclen flora. Pt. I - Thallo• CROOKSHANK,H. (1936). Geology of the Northern phyta - Ptericlophyta. London. slopes of the Satpuras between the Morand ancl Idem (1900). Cataloguc of the plants the Sher rivers. Mem. Ceol. Surv. India. 66(2). in the British MusE-um. The Jurassic Fbra I • DEB, S. ( 1932 ). A short note on some fossil plants The Yorkshire Coast. London. from Jubbulpore, c.P. Quart. Journ. Ceol. Min. Iclem ( 1903 ). Fossil floras of Cape Colony. Ann. Met. Soc. India. 4(3). Sou/h African Mus. 4. FEISTMANTEL,O. (1877). Flora of the J abalpur Idem (1911). The Jurassic flora of Sutherland. group ( Upper Gondwanas), in the Son-Narbada Trans. Roy. Soc. Edinburgh. 47(4). Region. Mem. Ceol. Surv. India. Pal. Ind. 2(2). SZE, H. (1931). Beitrage zur Liasischen Flora von MATLEY,C. A. (1921 ). On the stratigraphy, fossils China. Acad. Sinica. Mem. Na/. Res. Ins/. and Geological relationships of the Lameta becls Ceol. 12. of Jubbulpore. Rec. Ceol. Surv. India. 53(2). Idem (1933). Beitrage zur l\Iesozoischen Flora MEDLICOTT, J. G. (1860). On the geological von China. Palaeon/ologia Sinica. 4(1). structure of the Central portion of the Nerbuclcla THOMAS, H. H. (1911). The Jurassic flora of District. Mem. Ceol. Surv. India. 2(2). Kamenka in the District of Isium. Mem. Com. OISHI, S. (1931). Fossil plants from japan ancl Ceol. N.S. 71. Korea. Sci. Rep. Tohoku Imp. Univ. Second YABE, H. & OISHI, S. (1929). Jurassic plants Series (Geology). 14(2A). from the Fang-tzu Coal-FielcI, Shantung. Sup• P'AN, C. H. (1936). Older Mesozoic plants from plement. Con/. Ins/. Ceol. Palaeont. Tohoku NQrth Shensi. Pa/aeon/ologia Sinica 4(2). Imp. Univ. RACIBORSKI, M. (1890). Dber die Osmunclaceen YOKOYAMA, M. (1890). Jurassic plants from unci Schizaeaccen der j uraformation. Engler. Kaga, Bida ancl Echizen. Journ. Coli. Sci. Bo/. J ahrb. 13. Japan. 3. 92 THE PALAEOBOTANIST

EXPLANATION OF PLATE 1

1. 2. Cladophlebis sp. cf. C. longipennis Seward. 6. Coniopteris sp. d. C. hymenophylloides ( Brong• Nos. 28950 and 28949. x 1. niart) Seward. No. 5905. X 1. 3. 4. Cladophlebis sp. Nos. 29245 and 29228. 7. Sphenopteris sp. No. 5918. X 1. x 1. 8-11. Onychiopsis psilotoides (Stokes & Web). 5. Coniopteris hymenophylloides (Brongniart) Nos. 29294 (FIG. 8). 29300 (FIGS. 9 & 11 ) and , Seward. No. 5904. X 1. 29295 (FIG. 10). X 1. THE PALAEOBOTANIST. YOLo 7 BOSE - PLATE 1