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
for that matter, in any genus of the families of monoctyledons with which the comparisons have been made. This single charter is important enough to restrict the assignment of Viracarpon hexaspermum to any of the families referred above. At the same time it must be admitted that the present authors also do not have any solution to offer for this problem. Thus, as is the case with some other fossils from the Deccan Intertrappean flora like Enigmocarpon , Tri- coccites, etc. the affinities of Viracarpon hexaspermum still remain unknown. CHITALEY (1954) is of the opinion that Viracarpon hexaspermum belongs to an extinct genus of an either known or extinct family. The present authors do not agree with this view. In case of most of the fossil woods, which form a major portion of the Deccan Intertrappean flora, it is possible to identify them at generic level. This is possible because our knowledge regarding the wood anatomy of modern taxa is reasonably sufficient. On the other hand forms like Viracarpon, Tricoccites or Enigmocarpon still elude our attempts to know their affinities because the information regarding the fruits, seeds etc. of modern taxa is neither complete nor easily available. However, it is hoped thet the reinterpretation of the structure of Viracarpon hexaspermum will help future workers to trace out the botanical affinities of this interesting fossil. Fig. 5. Reconstruction of a complete infructescence Viracarpon hexaspermum Sahni as proposed by the present authors (semidiagramatic) EMENDED GENERIC DIAGNOSIS Viracarpon Sahni Pedunculate, spiny, aggregate fructification, consisting of a central unbranched axis continous with peduncle and bearing crowded fruits in longitudinal rows. Fruits sessile, ebracteate.Individual fruit hexangular with 6 equal loculi around a central core, each locule containing a single seed; the central core protruding slightly above the loculi; outer wall of ovary extending upwards in the form of six perianth-like lobes forming a cup-like structure free at the top and joining below to give rise to the six partitions of the ovary; a vertical ridge running in the centre of each lobe on its inner surface from top to its base; inner surface of the perianth-like lobes covered with hair. Peduncle with monocotyledon ou s bundles. Acknowledgements - The authors are grateful to Mr.P.K. BAJPAI, ARTIST, Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, Lucknow for preparing the text-figures, especially the one depicting the reconstruction of the fossil infructescense.
