STUDIES IN THE GLOSSOPTERIS FLORA OF INDIA• 42. BARAKAR PLANT MEGAFOSSILS AND MIOSPORES FROM AURANGA COALFIELD, BIHAR A. K. SRIVASTAVA Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany. Lucknow-226007 ABSTRACT spora, Callumispora, Hennellysporites, V errucosisporites, Lophotriletes, Brevitrihtes, The paper deals with the morphological details of eleven species of Glossopteris, viz., G. indica, H orriditrilctes, Lacinitn'letes, I ndospora, G. barakarensis, G. leptoneura, G. juchsii, G. cons• Cyclobaculisporites, Gondisporites, I ndotrira• picua, G. sp. d. G. ampla, G. pandurata, G. sp. d. dites, Latosporites, ThY:llospora, Parasaccites, G. intermittens, (;. churiensis sp. nov., G. communis, G. browniana and Vertebraria indica. Vir kkipollenites, Potonieisporites, Striomono• The mioflora '(31 genera and 53 species) is saccite.', Densipollenites, Barakarites, C$mea• dominated by striate disaccate pollen grains and tisporites, P latysaccus, Vestigisporites, trilete spores. A new non striate disaccate genus L ueckisporites, Schizopollis, V ittatina, Aurangapollenites is instituted for the grains having Striatites, Lahirites, 5triatopodocarpites, pitcher shaped saccus arrangement. F aunipollenites, DireticuI01:dispora, Vesica• spora, 5ulcatisporites, Guttulapollenites, INTRODUCTION Fusacolpites, Ginkgocycadophytus, Ibisporites, Tiwariasporis, Decussatisporites, Striasulcites M acu!atasporites, Balmeella, Quadrisporites, Peltacystia and Leiosphaeridia. assemblagesBarakar frommega-the andAurangamiofloralCoal• THEfield have earlier been reported by The present investigation was carried Feistmantel (1881a, b, 1882, 1886), Bhatta• out to study in detail the morphological charyya (1959), Bhattacharyya (1963), and systematic description of the mega• Maithy (1971), and Srivastava and Anand• and miofloras of the Barakar Stage of Prakash (1973). Auranga Coalfield. Maithy (1971) has given the following For the study of Glossopteris species a revised list of the megafossil,> from the typical example has been sorted out from Barakar Stage of the Aurang;j, Coalfield: the original a'lthor's collection. All the Trizygia speciosa (Royle) McClelland figured recJrds have been examined and Barakaria dichotoma Seward & Sahni their placement has been discussed with Equisetalean stems reference to holotype or typical example. Sphenopteris polymorpha Feistmantel Idealized diagrams have been given to Vertebraria indica Royle eluci~ate the morphological concept of the Glossopteris angustifolia Brongniart specIes. G. linearis Mc Coy G. communis Feistmantel MATERIAL G. indica Schimper G. damudica Feistmantel A. The megafossils have been found a~ G. browniana Brongniart impressions on thinly laminated white to G. tortuosa Zeiller grey fi"ec1ay, collected from a section ex• G. retifera Feistmantel posed in a quarry about 2 km west-south Rhabdotaenia danaeoides (Royle) Pant of west bank of Alranga River which is Scale leaves about 2 km north-west of Churia Village Pseudoctenis balli (Feistmantel) Seward (see in Map; Srivastava, 1977). The following miospore genera have earlier B. The palynological assemblages have been recorded from the A1tranga Coalfield, been reC0vered from the section exposed Bihar (Bhattacharyya, 1959; Maithy, 1971; in north-east bank of Sukri River (Map-I): Srivastava & Anand-Prakash, 1973): Site-I. About 150 metres west of Gurtur Punctatisporites, Microbaculispora, APicu• Village. Samples are sandy coaly shale. latisporis, Laevigatisporites, Leiotriletes, Site-2. About 166 metres north of Site l. Cyclogr anisporites, Cristaiis1J01',ites, Calamo- Samples are coaly with less sand. 50 14-10.:34 SRIVASTAVA-STUDIES IN GLOSSOPTERIS FLORA OF INDIA- 42 51 • BALU • SABANU N 0 2 4 o I • 3 tl KM • BAN HARDI S UDAIPURA MAP 1 - Showing the palynological sample sites (Pi to P3). Site-3. About 150 metres further north few, 1·5-2·5 mm long, 0·8 mm broad, near of Site-2. Samples are grey to dark brown the midrib, linear, narrow, 2-5 mm long, micaceous shale. 0·5-0·7 mm broad in rest of the lamina; All figured specimens and type slides are veins 12-14 per em near the midrib and preserved at the Museum, Birbal Sahni 15-18 per em near the margin. Institute of Palaeobotany, Lucknow. Description - There are twenty incom• plete leaf impressions in the collection. The figured leaf is 8·2 em long, 3·2 em broad DESCRIPTION at its widest part. The shape was pro• bably lanceolate. The tip of apex and base 1. MEGAFOSSILS are not preserved, margin is entire. The midrib distinct, 1·5 to 2·5 mm broad Genus - Glossopteris (Brongniart) Sternberg, 1825 near the basal portion and 1 to 1·5 mm near the apical region. The secondary veins arise at an angle of 45°. They dichotomize and anastomose to form few, broad, Glossopteris indica Schimper, 1869 elongate, polygonal meshes near the midrib PI. 1, figs. L 2; Text-fig. iA-B and narrow elongate, linear, hexagonal meshes near the margin. The meshes are Typical example from niarBrongt, 1828, 1·5to 2·5 mm long and 0·8 to 1·0 mm broad pI. 62, fig. 2: Leaf preserved in two near the midrib and 3 to 4 mm long and pieces; one shows the upper half 7·5 em 0·3 to 0·5 mm broad near the margin. The long, 4·8 em broad; other piece shows density of veins is 6 to 18 per em near the lower half 9·9 em long, 4 em broad; midrib and 15 to 26 per em near the midrib 6 mm broad near the basal pJrtion, margin. 1·5-2·5 mm near apical region; secondary Comparison - The present specimens in veins arise at 45°; meshes broad, polygonal, their venation pattern fairly resemble the 52 THE PALAEOBOTANIST A B TEXT-FIG. 1 - A. Glossopteris indica Schimper, enlarged line drawing of a part of the leaf re• presented on PI. 1, fig. 1 x 3. B. Idealised diagram of Glossopteris indica. photograph of the typical specimen described rest of the leaf, whereas in G. communis by Brongniart (1828, pI. 62, fig. 2) which the secondary veins are arched and the is briefly described in the begining and the meshes are narrow, elongate throughout leaves described by Maheshwari and Prakash the lamina. Hence, both the species seem (1965, pI. 2, fig. 15) and Kulkarni (1971, to be distinct. The cuticular evidences pI. 1, fig. 4). also indicate the distinction of two species Discussion - Zeiller (1896) and Arber (Zeiller, 1896; Srivastava, 1956). (1905) considered G. communis Feistmantel Concept of the Species - The species under G. indica Schimper. The original G. indica Schimper is distinguished by the photograph and diagram of the specimen, fonowing morphological features (Text-fig. however, show that in G. indica there are lB). few, open, hexagonal meshes near the Leaves broad to linear; apex acute, base midrib and narrow, elongate meshes in contracted; margin entire; midrib broad, SRIVASTAVA - STUDIES IN GLOSSOPTERIS FLORA OF INDIA - 42 53 persistent; secondary veins arise at 40°_45°, 1922 G. indica Walkom, pI. 2, figs. 10-13a. meshes broad, elongate, polygonal near 1928 G. indica Edwards, fig8. la, 2. the midrib and narrow, linear, hexagonal 1934 G. indica Harrington, pI. 1, fig. 3. meshes in rest of the leaf. 1941 G. indica Read, pI. 4, figs. 1, 2, 4; Following the above concept the more pI. 5, figs. 1, 2, 5. representative specimens of G. indica 1948 G. indica Dolianiti, pI. 5, fig. 2. Schimper from the published records are 1957 G. indica Archangelsky, pI. 7, fig. 2. sorted out beLw: 1960 G. indica Hc/>eg& Bose, pI. 11, fig. 6; 1828 G. browniana var. indica Brongniart, pI. 14, fig..;. 5, 6. pI. 26, fig. 2. 1962 G. indica Saksena, pI. 1, figs. 1-3. 1861 G. browniana var. indica Bunbury, 1963 G. indica Cridland, pI. 1, figs. 30-32. pI. 8, figs. 1-4. 1965 G. indica Archangelsky & Arrondo, 1881a G. indica Feistmantel, pI. 26, fig. 3; pI. 1, fig. 2. pI. 27, fig. 35; pI. 29, fig. 7. 1966 G. indica Rigby, pI. 34, fig. 40 1890a G. primaeva Feistmantel, pI. 13, (fragmentary) . figs. 3, 3a (Arber, 1905) 1897 G. browniana var. indica Seward, Glossopteris barakarensis Kulkarni, 1971 pI. 21, figs. 2,3. 1902 G. indica Zeiller, pI. 1, figs. 2, 5. PI. 2. fig. 11; Text-fig. 2A-B 1911 G. indica Halle, pI. 2, figs. 1-5. Holotype - Kulkarni, 1971, specimen no. 1914 G. indica Gothan, pI. 1, fig. 1. 34061, B.S.I.P. Museum, Lucknow. 1919 G. indica Lundquist, pI. 1, figs. 6,7. 1923 G. indica d. var. wilsonii Seward & Description - There are four cJmplete Walton, pI. 21, fig. 13. to incomple'ce leaf impressions in the collec- 1934 G. indica Hanington, pI. 1, figs. 1,2. 1957 G. indica Archangelsky, figs. 1,3. 1958 G. indica Archangelsky, fig. 39 1960 G. indica Hc/>eg & Bose, pI. 15, fig. 1. 1962 G. indica Plumstead, pI. 4, figs. 1-5. 1962 G. indica Schopf, pI. 11, figs. la, 1b; text-figs. 4a, b, c. 1962 G. indica Saksena, pI. 1, figs. 1-4. 1965 G. indica Maheshwari & Prakash, pI. 2, fig. 15. 1965d G. indica Maithy, pI. 5, fig. 30 1971 G. indica Kulkarni, pI. 1, fig. 4. The following specimens are regarded as doubtful records of G. indica Schimper: 1881a G. indica Feistmantel, pI. 23, fig. 10; pI. 25, figs. 1, 2; pI. 35, fig. 4; pI. 38, fig. 4. 1928 G. indica Walkom, text-figs. 2, 2a. The following specimens are regarded distinct from G. indica Schimper: 1886 G. indica Feistmantel, pI. 12, figs. 2, 6b; pI. 14, fig. 7. 1902 G. indica Zeiller pI. 1, fig. 1; pI. 2, figs. 1-4; pI. 3, figs. 1-3. 1903 G. browniana var. indica Seward, pI. 13, fig. 1 (fragmentary); pI. 10, figs. 3, 4 (venation not clear). B A 1911 G. indica Halle, pI. 2, fig. 6. 1912 G. indica Seward, pI. 1, fig. 1; pI. 1, figs. 2,3. TEXT-FIG. 2 - A. Glossopteris barakarensis Kul• 1922 G. indica Kurtz, fl. 9, fig. 9; pI. 10, karni, enlarged line drawing of a part of the leaf represented on PI.