Palmoxylon shahpuraensis sp. nov., a fossil palm resembling Licuala from the Deccan Intertrappean beds of Mandla District, Madhya Pradesh

Abstract

Palmoxylon shahpuraensis sp. nov., a petrified palm wood showing close resemblance with the extant Licuala belonging to sabaloid group of Palmae, has been described here. The specimen was collected from the Deccan Intertrappean beds near the village Ghugua in Mandla District. It shows compact to spongy nature of the ground tissue with usually one to two metaxylem vessels in dermal, two in subdermal and central zones and the absence of the fibrous bundles in the stem.