Morphotaxonomic study of some more fossil leaves from the Lower Siwalik sediments of West Bengal, India

J.S. Antal; M. Prasad

doi:10.54991/jop.1998.1276

Authors

J.S. Antal Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, 53, University Road, Lucknow 226007, India
M. Prasad Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, 53, University Road, Lucknow 226007, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54991/jop.1998.1276

Keywords:

Plant megafossils, Morphotaxonomy, Leaf-impressions, Middle Miocene, West Bengal (India)

Abstract

The leaf-impressions from the Lower Siwalik sediments exposed near Oodlabari in Darjeeling District, West Bengal belonging to extant genera, viz., Uvaria Linn., Alsodeia Thouars., Hopea Roxb., Grewia Linn., Beddomea Hook.f. and Terminalia Linn. of the families Anonaceae, Flacourtiaceae, Dipterocarpaceae, Tiliaceae, Meliaceae and

Combretaceae, respectively have been described in this paper. Of them four species, viz., Uvaria ghishia sp. nov., Alsodeia palaeoechinocarpa sp. nov., Grewia tiliaefolia sp. nov. and Beddomea palaeoindica sp. nov. are new records to the existing Siwalik flora. Amongst these six taxa four are found in the evergreen forests and the remaining two in the moist evergreen forests of India and Malaya Peninsula, which collectively suggest the prevalence of warm and humid climate in the area during deposition of these sediments.

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