L. Hably szerk.: Studia Botanica Hungarica 19. 1986 (Budapest, 1986)
Bande, M. B.; Awasthi, N.: New thoughts on the structure and affinities of Viracarpon hexaspermum Sahni from the Deccan Intertrappean beds of India
STUDIA BOTANICA HUNGARICA (Antea: Fragmenta Botanica) XIX. 1986 P- 13-22 New thoughts on the structure and affinities of Viracarpon hexaspermum Sahni from the Denan Intertrappean beds of India By M. B. BANDE and N. AWASTH1 (Received October 30, 1985) Abstract: A monocotyledonous infructcscence Viracarpon hexaspermum Sahni from the Deccan Intertrappean beds of Mohgaonkalan, Marihya Pradesh, India has been critically re-investigated based on a number of well-preserved specimens recovered from the chert. Some significant characters not observed by earlier workers have been described. Based on this study a new reconstruction of the whole fructification as well as individual fruit has hecn proposed. Earlier workers suggested the affinities of the fructification with Cyclanthaceae, Araceae and Pandanaceac. However, in the light of our critical observations it has been found that the affinities of this infructiscence are not with any of the above-mentioned families and still remain unknown. INTRODUCTION The Deccan Intertrappean flora of India is well known not only for the variety of its constituents but also for the different types of plant organs preserved in these fossiliferous beds of Central India. On the one hand, all the major groups of the Plant Kingdom, vi/.., Algae, Fungi, Bryophytes, Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms and Angiosperms are represented, and on the other hand, practically all the plant organs, viz., roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits and pollen and spores are known to occur in this interesting flora of Early Tertiary age. One of the earliest known fructifications from this flora is Viracarpon Sahni. Although this generic name was coined by SAHNI for the first time in 1934 (SAHNI, 1934), as early as 1853 HISLOP and HUNTER mentioned this type of specimens as mulberry-like fruits collected from Takli near Nagpur ÍHISLOP, 1853). Although SAHNI did mention briefly this genus in his publications of 1934 and 1940 (SAHNI, 1938, 1940), it was only in 1944 that he described this fossil in some detail (SAHNI, 1944). He initially recognised two species of the genus, viz., Vi racarpon hexaspermum and V. elongatum differentiated mainly on the basis of length and width of the fructification. However, in his monograph on Indian fossil plants part. II (SAHNI, 1964), yet another species Viracarpon tenue was mentioned. Yet no detailed description has ever been given of this species. It was CHITALEY (1954) who for the first time gave a detailed description of this fossil under the specific name Viracarpon hexaspermum Sahni. CHITALEY also gave the generic diagnosis of Viracarpon Sahni and the specific diagnosis of Viracarpon hexaspermum. Based on her studies she also attempted to reconstruct an individual fruit of this fructification, but her observations were not supported by photographs. Chitaley and her co-workers (CHITALEY, SHALLOM & MEHTA, 1969) described a new species of Viracarpon . V. sahnii from the Deccan Intertrappean beds of Mahurgari near Nagpur. They differentiated it from the earlier known species mainly on the basis of absence of hairy spines on
