Triassic plant Megafossils from the Tiki Formation, South Rewa Gondwana Basin, India

Abstract

Plant megafossils are for the first time described from the Tiki Formation. The specimens are from two regions, Janar River Section, near Harai and Son River Section, near Giar, Shahdol District, Madhya Pradesh.

From the Janar River Section Lepidopteris madagascariensis Carpentier, Dicroidium hughesii (Feistmantel) Gothan, D. zuberi (Szajnocha) Archangelsky, D. sp., Xylopteris sp., Sphenobaiera janarensis Pal sp. nov. and Baiera sp. have been described. On the basis of this assemblage an Early Upper Triassic age has been suggested for Janar River beds.

Son River Section, near Giar has yielded Lepidopteris strombergensis (Seward) Townrow, Dicroidium giarensis Pal sp. nov., D. coriaceum (Johnston) Townrow, D. zuberi (Szajnocha) Archangelsky, D. sp. cf. D. odontopteroides (Morris) Gothan, Elatocladus denticulatus Pal sp. nov., E. raoi Pal sp. nov., Pagiophyllum bosei Pal sp. nov., Yabiella indica Pal sp. nov. and Desmiophyllum singhii Pal sp. nov. Beside these, a few impressions of equisetaceous stem, leaf-sheath and nodal diaphragm have also been described. A Late Upper Triassic age has been proposed for the beds exposed in the Son River.